Fairest One of All
by luckdragongirl
Summary: Snow White FanFic based on the classic fairy tale. What really happened in the story? How did the queen get her mirror, who was really living in the woods, and how did the prince find her? Enjoy!
1. Three Drops

Intro: My first official post on this site. I'm an aspiring author, and you can see one of my original works now in progress on under the pen name luckdragon9. Please comment on this story (and that one if you'd like), I'd love some feedback. This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale, of which, I'm actually not a big fan of. Go figure. Expect it to be long and much more detailed. Creative license is definitely in effect. It's not based on Disney's work either. I hope it entertains you guys. Enjoy!

**Three Drops**

Once upon a time, there lived a king and his wife. The king ruled his kingdom with kindness and wisdom, beloved by all. He would most certainly go down in the history books as one of the greatest kings that ever lived…at least according to most in his kingdom. Some hated the king because of a certain law.

Really though, it was not the king's fault…not entirely. He was merely following in his father's footsteps just as his father had followed his own father's ways before him. Magic had killed his grandfather's brother, evil magic, not good magic, but magic nonetheless. After the crime was committed and the culprit burnt at the stake in the royal courtyard in front of the entire kingdom, the king issued a decree for the entire land outlawing all forms of magic including the good kind. Most who practiced the magic arts packed up and moved to neighboring kingdoms, others gave it up entirely, and a couple continued the practice underground, out of view of all. Those who did not practice magic lamented its absence. The stores selling spells for healing closed; there was no one to hire to cast a spell to ensure good crops, no one to help turn the weather, give the meek courage, the stupid wisdom, the clumsy grace, nothing. Resentment bred in those that liked the easy life that magic had given them, but they knew better than to voice their complaints. By the time Rupert took the throne, most had grown used to the absence of magic, but there were still some that despised him for it.

While King Rupert was certainly beloved by most, all loved his gentle wife. She was a ray of sunshine in a dark room, a welcome breeze on a scorching day, a lullaby singing softly in a child's room at night, a perfect rose amongst thorns. Queen Vivianna represented all that was good and right in the world. It was a shame though that several years of marriage had failed to produce an heir to the throne. Vivianna's cheery disposition hid a great sadness that became evident as the years went by. Seeing a mother with a babe in her arms would make the queen's bottom lip quiver from her grief. Children made her eyes fill with sadness. Even seeing calves suckling under their mothers made her near tears. Eventually, Queen Vivianna chose to stay in the castle, giving up her favorite pastime of walking amongst her husband's subjects. The king tried his best to give her a child, but it was to no avail. She sequestered herself within the castle, devoting her time to her embroidery, only appearing in public for important events that required her presence.

She stayed that way for many years, constantly shut up in the small room on the ground floor of the castle, watching the seasons change through the window as she embroidered.

It was one bright, beautiful winter day when she was sitting and embroidering an apple grove on a piece of linen. Humming softly, her mind wandered to a topic it was familiar with, her longing for a child. Thinking of holding a baby in her arms and singing sweet lullabies instead of humming while holding an embroidery frame, she accidentally pricked her finger with a needle. The queen gasped, the sharp pain pulling her from her thoughts. Placing her frame in her chair, she hurried to the window, pushing it open and cradling her finger. As her left hand rested on the sill with finger extended, she scooped up some snow with her right hand. Before she could press the cool relief on her finger, she noticed that three drops of her blood had fallen onto the snow-covered sill. The drops formed what looked like a pair of lips against the snow. An overgrown branch from a bush lay against the sill, devoid of its leaves and black as ebony from the moisture it had absorbed due to the snowfall. She brushed the snow off the top of the branch, letting its blackness stand out even more.

"Oh to have a child with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony," the queen whispered. She felt a tear leak out of her eyes as she turned her eyes back into the room, her hand moving to close the window.

Before the window closed, a voice outside said, "I know how to get you a child, my queen." Surprised, Vivianna turned back to the window and saw a woman in a black cloak staring back at her. She had piercing green eyes and graying hair as she proudly stood before the queen after curtseying.

"Wh-what did you say?"

"I said I can get you a child, my queen. A child as you just described. Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony, isn't that what you said?"

"How did you hear me? You were not here before."

"You failed to see me, your majesty. You were lost in your own thoughts and feelings, too absorbed in your wishes and hopes to notice a common woman such as myself."

"You cannot give me a child," the queen stated.

"I can. I know the way. If your majesty wishes to have this child, she must come to the village baker's shop this very evening. I will be waiting for her." The woman turned to leave.

"Wait!" called Vivianna, reaching her hand out to the woman. The woman turned and pierced her once again with those green eyes. "What is your name?"

"My name is of no consequence. If you wish to know, however, it is Josephina. Will I be seeing you tonight, my queen?"

Vivianna bit her bottom lip, thinking about this. She didn't know this woman, but then again, what harm could come from visiting her. "Yes," she said.

She snuck out of the castle that evening, her blue cloak wrapped tightly around her to shield out the cold. Since the day was drawing to a close, few people were out in the streets as she walked them, the snow crunching under her boots.

Darkness quickly spread over the land as the homes and shops softly glowed from candles and firelight. Upon reaching her destination, Queen Vivianna removed her gloved hand from under the warmth of her cloak and rapped quietly on the wooden door. A stout man of about sixty answered her knock. His heavy brow with thick brown eyebrows lay over his large eyes, hooding them in shadows as he looked at her. "What do you want?" he grumbled.

"I've come here to see Josephina. Is she at home?"

He grumbled again as he moved aside and beckoned her to come in with a fat, stubby red finger. Before he shut the door behind her, he took a deep breath and spat into the snow next to the door. Sniffling and wiping his mouth with the back of his meaty hand, he led the way.

They walked past a large fireplace, several bags of flour, and an assortment of bowls, pans, and utensils. She could smell the aroma of bread in the air and wondered if the man opening a door in the corner was the baker.

"Come on then," he sighed, starting down the stairs. The queen followed, immediately noticing how the smell of bread dissipated and turned into the moist, stale smell of a basement. She nearly bumped into him at the bottom of the stairs when he made a sudden stop. The man moved aside and pointed to a door leading to another room in the basement. "In there."

She thanked him and walked across the dirt floor. The lit torch along the wall to her right provided the only light, and she could barely make out the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on it.

"Who comes to see me?" a muffled voice from the other side sounded.

"Queen Vivianna. I'm here to see Josephina, if you please."

Vivianna heard a lock slide open and watched the door slowly creek open in front of her. It was a very heavy wooden door, at least four inches thick and seemed very out of place in a baker's shop.

"You must promise to breathe not a word of what you witness tonight to anyone. Not even your husband," Josephina said.

"I-I promise."

Josephina nodded and led her inside. This room smelled strongly of herbs and incense. The smells tickled Vivianna's nose, making her eyes water before she sneezed.

"Bless you," Josephina said. She walked to a table and pointed out a chair. "Sit."

Vivianna did as she pulled a handkerchief out of the pocket within her cloak and demurely blew her nose. Her eyes wandered along the walls. Shelves lined the walls, shelves of books of all shapes and sizes, jars of liquids, jars of herbs, and jars of much more unpleasant things. She gasped when she saw eyeballs in one and immediately looked down at the table in front of her.

"I'm sure you've figured out that I practice the magical arts."

Vivianna could not look at her and merely nodded. A feeling of dread welled up inside of her, knotting in the pit of her stomach. A corresponding knot settled in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.

"Now then," said Josephina, going over to a fireplace in the corner. Vivianna had never seen a fireplace in a basement, but it was small and in the same position as the one on the ground floor so its smoke would feed into the chimney of the other. Josephina stirred a pot on the fireplace. It was then that Vivianna heard the sound of boiling water. Josephina turned back to her, meeting her eyes, "Now, if I remember correctly, you remarked about wanting a child with black hair, red lips, and pale skin, correct?" Vivianna nodded. "Yes, I know you wanted skin as white as snow, but let's face it, a child with pure white skin would make those around her uneasy. I can go as pale as possible so as to appear human and healthy. The red lips and black hair will help it appear paler. You'll just have to settle for that. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes."

"Good." Josephina went to a shelf and set about pulling jars off it. She looked over her shoulder, "I'm assuming you want a princess, not a prince?"

"I'd love a daughter. One to dress up and teach to sew and-"

"I don't need the details," Josephina snapped. "You'll make me lose my concentration. 'Sides, a boy with blood red lips would look ridiculous, now wouldn't it?" She laughed. Going back to her work, she started measuring out the ingredients and adding them to a pot. Vivianna's eyes were entranced by the reactions of the mixture. A pinch of one herb made the pot boil violently, a pour of a liquid produced blue smoke, a handful of something made the pot gurgle, and still another herb made the sound of a child's laughter when added to the pot. Josephina stirred it and then paused. Turning to Vivianna, she asked, "I forgot to ask! What color eyes would you like?"

Vivianna blinked before furrowing her brow in thought. Her eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her coral lips as she meekly asked, "Can she have eyes as blue as two blueberries?"

"Fine choice!" Josephina exclaimed. She quickly rushed over to a shelf. Vivianna heard her mumble something along the lines of, "Where did I put that?" before she finally brought a small jar out and took a pinch of yellow powder out, sprinkling it into the mixture. Once satisfied that it was in, she turned and reached into a cupboard below some shelves and brought forth a small brown packet. "Sugar for flavor," Josephina explained to her, taking a spoonful of the brown sugar out and stirring it into the pot.

She poured it into a goblet and walked toward Vivianna. "It would be very bitter without the sugar." She shrugged, "Who knows, it may add some sweetness to the child. Didn't work on my own though." Laughing, she extended the goblet to Vivianna.

"You've done this before? You've created a child from this?"

"Yes and no. I chose a different look for my little beauty. It's the same basic ingredients though."

Vivianna raised the steaming goblet to her lips. Before she could drink, Josephina grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"I forgot to tell you one small detail."

"I'll pay whatever you wish."

"It's not about the payment. It's about a term. You have three years."

"Three years?"

"On the child's third birthday, you will draw your last breath, my queen."

"Is your child three?"

"She's fourteen."

"But you're still alive."

"Ah. You see, that's the thing about magic. I used a spell to enhance my child's beauty. In doing so, I exchanged my husband's beauty. You saw him upstairs. Poor man. The day after his daughter's birth, he wakes up and looks like…" Josephina paused to chuckle, "Almost like a troll, he is."

"I still don't understand. When did I agree to three years?"

"Magic requires more than just potions and spells. It requires more than a talented sorcerer. It looks into our hearts. Magic is a force. When you stood by the window, you lost three drops of blood. Three drops of your _lifeblood_. Therefore, in exchange for the child you so desperately want, you will only have three years to spend with her. I know how to phrase a wish in a way to harness the force of magic. That is why I got my child without losing my own life. Besides, I had no trouble conceiving the baby. Think long and hard. If you do not wish to do this, simply leave. You still must tell no one about what you've witnessed tonight."

Vivianna cradled the goblet between her two hands, her long elegant index finger circling the rim as she stared into the liquid's purple depths. Closing her eyes, she lifted the goblet to her lips and drank the potion, draining the vessel dry.

If she had been looking over at Josephina, she would have seen the look of evil and delight written across her features.

Finished with the potion, Vivianna set the goblet down and looked over at a composed Josephina. "I take it that your decision has been made. In nine months, you will have the child you so desire. Go home, my queen. Go home to your husband and have relations with him so that he will think you conceived the child naturally and not by magic. I look forward to seeing the child." She led Vivianna to the door and up the basement steps until she finally closed the bakeshop door behind her.

Josephina smiled to herself as she walked up the steps to her daughter's room. Night had fallen, and Lily was fast asleep. Josephina sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her daughter's beautiful golden-red hair, smoothing the thick, silky waves from her cream-colored forehead. "Sleep, my daughter. Sleep well tonight. Just think, in only a few short years, the queen will be dead. A few years later, if all goes well, you will be queen. You will bring magic back to the land. Good-night, my beauty." Josephina bent forward and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead.


	2. A Princess is Born

Thank you for the supportive comments! My goal is to update every 1 to 2 days. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know. I tried to read this one over again before posting. On another note, my birthday's tomorrow (Sept 27th)! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**A Princess is Born**

A few short months later, the kingdom was abuzz with excitement about the upcoming birth of the heir to the throne. Queen Vivianna was practically glowing as she once again made public appearances almost everyday. Never had a woman glowed more in her pregnancy than the queen did.

King Rupert couldn't stop smiling as he imagined his future son or daughter. "If it is a boy," he mused to his wife, "I should like to name him Matthias after my father."

"And if the child is a girl?" Vivianna ventured.

"You can name her, my darling." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"You won't be terribly disappointed if the baby is a girl, would you, my lord?"

"Of course not!" laughed Rupert. His blue eyes sparkled in amusement. "In fact, King Henry's son is still a toddler. If our child is a daughter, we may one day be able to join the kingdoms with a marriage between them. I shall be content, nay elated no matter what sex our child is."

"That is good," whispered Vivianna, feeling a flood of relief wash over her. She hadn't until this moment considered the fact that Rupert may want a boy.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, it was time for the baby to make her appearance into the world.

King Rupert paced nervously outside the bedchambers where his wife lay moaning in pain while two nurses tended her. The sounds of his boots echoed along the stone floor of the halls. Servants kept hidden, each quietly anticipating the arrival of the newborn prince or princess. A scream from within the bedroom made Rupert pause and wring his hands, his handsome brow frowning for his wife's pain. Then, he heard a small, whimpering cry, a baby's cry. A grin crept across his bearded face as excitement swelled within him.

Moments later, he saw the door open revealing one of the nurses, calmly wiping her hands on a piece of linen. She curtseyed to her king and said with a smile on her face, "Your majesty, you have a daughter."

The servants instantly knew when the baby was born for King Rupert let out a shout of joy that vibrated through the castle, racing down the long corridors, echoing through the chambers, and filling all who heard it with a sense of happiness. Inside the castle's chapel, a bell rang that afternoon to announce the birth of the new baby. Throughout the land, townspeople cheered and celebrated their future monarch's birth.

Rupert entered the room with the gusto of a child, going past the nurses and to his wife's side. In her arms was a bundle wrapped in white.

Vivianna's face was dotted with sweat and her eyes showed her fatigue as she looked up into her husband's eyes. She smiled and pulled back a bit of the blanket, revealing a perfect newborn baby's face. "Meet your daughter, my lord."

Rupert saw the baby's hair was jet black and covered her head in a tangled mess, still drying from birth, some pieces standing up and curling softly. He looked at her tiny, perfect mouth, as red as blood. She had long eyelashes fanning her cheeks as she lay sleeping. He reached out and stroked a finger along her pale white skin, remarking in the baby softness found there. Vivianna held her out to him as he sat beside her. Rupert accepted his newborn daughter, his heart beating fast, not sure if he was holding her right or not. The baby fussed a bit, and Vivianna had him hold her closer to his chest, instructing him to support her head.

"Hello, my beautiful daughter," he cooed. With the baby quite supported, he took his free hand and held a finger out to her tiny hand. Watching in wonder, he saw her little fingers curl around his much larger one, and marveled at her tiny grip. As he held her, he felt a tear roll down his cheek. Sniffling, he raised the baby higher and pressed a gentle kiss to her head. Lowering her again, he saw her eyes open slightly, still unfocused on the world around her. They were a purplish blue, a remarkable color, one he hadn't seen before.

"Is she everything you could have ever wanted?" Vivianna asked.

"Oh, so much more, my love," Rupert whispered, kissing his wife. "Now, you need to rest while I get acquainted with the princess." He stood and rocked the baby gently as he walked her around the room, going to the window and sliding the heavy drapes aside so the sunshine could pour in on his daughter. Looking over his shoulder to his wife, he asked, "My dear, have you decided on a name yet?"

"Sophine. Her name is Sophine." The queen yawned and her eyelids grew heavy.

Rupert turned back to his daughter and stroked her cheek. "Sophine," he said, testing the name on his lips. "Yes, I believe it suits you my little Sophine."

A servant entered carrying the wooden cradle that newborns in Rupert's line had used for generations. "Place it by the bed," King Rupert said. Another servant entered behind the first, and she was carrying soft linens to line the cradle. Once the cradle was ready, he laid his daughter inside it, his heart melting at the little cry of protest she made. "Your father has to go make a proclamation that you've been born, my beauty. I also have to make preparations for a feast in your honor to be held six months from today."

***

Vivianna cherished every moment with her baby, fawning over her, having the best clothing made for her, and responding to every cry. She nearly burst into happy tears the first time that Sophine smiled at her. "My little white as snow baby," she'd coo to her daughter. Soon, she developed a fitting nickname for Sophine, calling her Snow White. While she had a nurse for the baby, she only left her with the nurse if she was needed elsewhere, preferring to devote her full attention to her baby rather than let another raise her.

"Ready for your celebration, Snow White?" Vivianna said, leaning over the baby bed to see her daughter now six months old.

"Ba ba ba ba!" Sophine repeated happily as her mother lifted her up. She squealed with delight, the two tiny teeth on her bottom gums showing as she smiled up at her mother. Sophine laughed and grabbed a handful of her mother's long brown hair, pulling it.

"Let go, darling," Vivianna said, prying her hair out of her daughter's grip.

"How's my little princess?" Rupert asked, approaching the two. Sophine held her arms out to him and let out a sound of delight as he reached for her, taking her out of her mother's arms.

The celebration officially started that afternoon, but guests had been arriving most of the morning from the nearby kingdoms as well as their own. Among them, at the request of the queen, were the baker and his family. Before Vivianna brought Sophine down the stairs dressed in her lovely white gown with pink ribbons, Josephina and her daughter Lily came to see them.

"What a little angel," Josephina exclaimed as she looked at the baby. "You must be so proud. Isn't she pretty, Lily?"

Lily shrugged, uninterested in the baby. Instead, she was paying more attention to her reflection in the looking glass, admiring the way the sunlight highlighted the red gold tones of her hair. She didn't care a whit about the little princess. She was just a baby and all babies were the same. Besides, no baby, even a princess could be half as beautiful as she.

Within an hour, King Rupert stood behind the great doors of the hall beside his wife as she held his child. Never before this moment had he been so content. If he could freeze time, he would have done so that very moment. Hearing the announcement of his name along with his wife and child's, he straightened his back and smiled as the great doors were opened for them, and they made their procession down the deep burgundy carpet toward the thrones. Vivianna handed Sophine to Rupert as he introduced the princess to everyone. Once finished, he handed her back to his wife who placed her inside a low baby's bed made of the finest materials and commissioned for the occasion. It was all ebony wood, black as Sophine's hair with the most beautiful pure white linens, white as the March snow on the castle grounds.

One by one, the guests came to see the baby and lay a gift at her cradle. The most important guests were the first. King Henry and his wife Rosalind approached. Rosalind held her three-year-old son's hand.

"Oh she's so beautiful, Vivianna," Rosalind whispered. "Look at those lips! Never have I seen such red lips on a baby. And her hair is beautiful too, that mop of black curls. My, yes, she is going to be a stunning child and a beautiful woman. See, Aaron? See the beautiful baby?" She let go of her son's hand so he could peer into the cradle.

He walked up to the baby and placed his hands on the edge of the wood, looking down at her. Aaron leaned a little too far forward however, and Sophine seized the opportunity, grabbing a handful of his tunic and pulling him forward. "Let me go!" Aaron cried out startled as his feet slipped out from under him. Squealing, Sophine released him, causing him to fall to his knees, his head banging against her own.

Sophine burst into tears, looking over to her right where her mother was and holding her arms up. Vivianna promptly picked the child up, cradling her to her breast and wiping her tears as she soothed her.

Aaron, already aware of his princely station in life refused to cry no matter how much the head bump smarted. His father set him upright and with a chuckle in his voice asked, "What do you think of your future bride, my son?"

"She's got a very hard head," Aaron grumbled as he straightened his tunic, his dark chocolate eyes angrily looking at the tiny princess in her mother's arms. Both King Henry and King Rupert burst out laughing, and Vivianna soon joined in. Rosalind was not amused and scolded her child for his choice of words.

"Nonsense, don't scold the boy for honestly. 'Tis a noble trait for a future king," Rupert said. He snapped his fingers and a servant came forward, holding a silver tray. Rupert took the object off the tray and knelt down before Aaron. "My humblest apologies for my daughter's thoughtless behavior. Your birthday is next month, isn't it Prince Aaron? I thought you'd like to have this." Rupert handed the prince the small silver fife, and the boy smiled at him. Rupert ruffled Aaron's dark brown hair before straightening.

The rest of the celebration went off without a hitch as everyone came and had their turn at admiring the young princess. Vivianna handed her to her nurse once the official greeting period was over. The baby yawned and snuggled against her nurse's shoulder, falling fast asleep before they had even exited the room. Everyone else meanwhile prepared for the great feast and dance to follow.

At the dance, the king and queen didn't stray from their thrones, preferring instead to look out over their loyal subjects and make small talk with each other as well as King Henry and Queen Rosalind, who were now seated beside them on the dais. Aaron had lasted nobly through the feast before having to be taken to the room his family was staying in so he could go to sleep.

As they laughed over a joke Henry told, Josephina approached with her daughter. "I beg your pardon, your majesties," she said, bowing to each. "My lovely daughter and I need to take my husband home. I fear he has taken more than his fair share of the spirits you have provided and is in need of a good night's sleep. We thank you for your hospitality."

"You're most welcome, Josephina," Queen Vivianna said, her eyes reinstating her gratitude toward the sorceress.

"Again, I thank you. We never get the opportunity to go to a fancy celebration such as this. Does not my daughter, Lily look lovely tonight, my lord and king?"

Rupert, lost in a conversation with Henry, looked up and glanced at the fifteen-year-old girl in her jade-colored gown. "Quite lovely," he politely said before turning back to Rupert. Josephina turned and frowned as she walked with her daughter to collect her husband.

"Bring me your girls, your maids, your wives, and let me ravish them with mine eyes," sang Horace, the baker in his drunken stupor as his wife supported him on her arm during the walk home along the road.

"Oh do shut up!" Josephina grumbled. Under her breath, she mumbled, "I should leave the drunken fool here on the side of the road." She was in a foul mood indeed, not just because of her husband but because the king barely seemed to notice her daughter. Was her daughter not the most beautiful in the land? She looked over at her daughter who was looking in a tiny mirror she had received on her last birthday. She did love looking at her reflection in mirrors. Her daughter's vanity was a cumbersome problem that Josephina constantly battled with. When she took the time to teach her daughter some magic, she often caught her looking at her own reflection in a shiny pot or along the surface of a freshly brewed potion. Lily had the talent, probably more talent than even she herself possessed. If only Lily would harness it.

It would not do for Josephina's plans, not do at all if Lily failed to take up magic more seriously. The queen would be dead in approximately thirty months, as Josephina had planned all along. The queen had fallen for the stupid nonsense of magic forcing her to die in three years. Yes, magic was a force in the universe, that much was true, but it didn't work quite like Josephina had explained. No, Josephina had lied to the queen, because in reality, Josephina had enchanted the potion to kill the queen on the princess's third birthday in order for her own daughter to one day assume the queen's position. True, she did not have to tell the queen that she would die, for the queen could have decided not to drink the potion. But…Josephina was a mother, and as a mother, she knew the gift of a child and wanted the queen to know she had a limited time so she would be able to enjoy the time she had with the baby. Besides, Queen Vivianna was a good woman, and Josephina liked her. It was, after all was said and done, a desperate act to try to bring magic back to the land, an act that wasn't going to work if Lily didn't cooperate.

"I see the mirror, Lily. Put it away before I smash it on the ground," Josephina instructed.

"You wouldn't dare," Lily said before pursing her lips in front of the mirror. "Everyone knows breaking a looking glass gives you seven years of bad luck. Besides, you wouldn't do that to me. I'd tell everyone how the queen really had the princess."

"Obstinate child," Josephina growled, releasing her husband who stumbled and fell as she reached over and grabbed her daughter's hair, pulling it with such vigor that the girl yelped and dropped her precious mirror.

"Mother!" she shrieked. Josephina finally let go and Lily knelt to pick up the mirror. "It's scratched!" she moaned seeing the hairline scratch across the middle of the surface.

"Pity it didn't break," Josephina said, placing her hands on her hips and facing her child. "You need to learn your place. You are _my _child and will do as _I _say. You will marry the king and become queen before I leave this Earth."  
"I don't want to marry him, he's old."

"He's not old. The man's only thirty."

"_Thirty?_" Lily's fine features were etched in horror at the very word. "That's twice my age."

"Stupid girl. Your father is twenty years my senior, and I married him."

"That's your problem. I won't marry the king. I'm in love with Floren."

"That simple-minded son of a blacksmith? Over my dead body. I've groomed you for higher things."

"Floren is not simple-minded. He's the handsomest, bravest man in the whole world."

"The king's not unattractive," Josephina pointed out.

"Help! I'm drowning!" Horace groaned from the ground.

"Stupid fool!" Josephina exclaimed, helping her husband to his feet. "It's only melting slush on the road. You've had far too much wine this evening."

"Wine? Yes, I'll have some more," Horace said, his hand reaching out as if holding a goblet, waiting for someone to refill it. Josephina scoffed and heaved his arm over her shoulders.

"By the time the king is sixty like father, I'll be thirty," Lily remarked, looking into her mirror once again.

"This is why you need to spend less time reflecting on your reflection and spend more time reflecting on your studies. Both academics and magic by the sound of it. Stupid girl, can you not even do the simplest of math? When King Rupert is sixty, you'll be forty-five."

Lily gasped, "That old! I'll be ancient!" She started sobbing, bemoaning the potential loss of her looks. Through her wailing, she said, "I'd be more interested in learning magic if you could teach me a spell to stay young and beautiful forever."

Josephina made a sound of disgust, "How about I use a spell to make you a hag for a week? Maybe then you'd learn who is in charge here."

"A hag? How horrible! I'd never willingly allow myself to be turned into a hag by magic or otherwise. I'd die first."

"Stop with the dramatics and help me get your father home," Josephina instructed as she turned her head in repulsion of her husband's offending breath as he made leering comments to her and tried to bestow wet, sloppy kisses on her cheek.

***

The years went by quickly, and on the day before Sophine's third birthday, Vivianna spent the entire day with her daughter, brushing her thick crop of black curls, watching her ride her little white pony, telling her fairy stories, playing with her, and listening and hanging onto every word the precious child uttered. She tired her hardest not to break into sobs as she climbed into bed that night next to her husband, telling him she loved him dearly. Rupert thought she seemed upset but decided not to pursue his thoughts.

Queen Vivianna was shocked to find her eyes could open the morning of her daughter's birthday. She knew she was to die that day, but at least she did not die on the stroke of midnight as she had thought she would. She hurried to her daughter's room, finding her husband already there, giving Sophine a horsey ride on his back. Vivianna smiled at the quiet scene, feeling at peace knowing her husband would always love and care for their daughter.

"Our little Snow White is growing up so fast," Rupert remarked as he stood with Vivianna, watching Snow White eat a tiny cake the cook had made for her birthday.

"Faster than you'll ever know," Vivianna said, wiping a tear from her eye. Behind them the last rays of the sun flowed through the great window as the sun set. As soon as the sun set, Vivianna felt her heart clench within her chest, stopping the blood flow in her body. She collapsed to the ground.

"Vivianna!" Rupert yelled in horror, dropping beside his beloved wife.

"Mama!" Snow White cried, hopping off her little chair and running to her mother's side, grabbing her hand between her much smaller ones.

Vivianna's consciousness was fading quickly. She gave a small smile as she saw the two faces she loved more than anything else in the world hovering over her own. That was the last she saw as her life's candle blew out.

Rupert knew the moment his wife died, for he saw the light leave her eyes quickly. His breath tightened in his chest as he closed her eyelids and picked up his child.

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Snow White sobbed, reaching for her mother as father pulled her away. Her mother's cold, lifeless hand fell from her grasp.

"Mama's gone, sweetheart," Rupert said, tears brimming in his eyes. "She-she's gone, my darling."

"There, Papa. I see her," Snow White argued, pointing to the floor where the servants had gathered around her mother. One had gathered the queen in his arms, and the princess heard the sobs from all around her.

"Snow White, I know you see her, but she's gone, dear heart. She can't see or hear you." His tears flowed freely then in two tiny rivers running down his cheeks until they caught in the hairs of his beard and hung there. "She's dead."

"Dead?"

"She's gone and will never come back," Rupert said, pressing his daughter closer and clutching the back of her head with his hand as he buried his face in her hair. He felt tears coming out of his daughter's eyes, and it made him mourn more thinking of her now and how she still didn't understand. How could she? She was barely three-years-old. The realization that Snow White's birthday would always correspond with Vivianna's death date made him even more grief-stricken. He didn't release the child until her nurse pried her off.

At the funeral, he stood with his daughter in his arms as they silently watched her coffin be lowered into the ground. In the days that followed the death of her mother, Sophine began to grasp the concept. Her mother was never coming back…ever.


	3. Of Roughhousing and Dancing

Sorry for the wait. I had to double check my wording on "Ring around the rosie." On a related note, I used poetry format there, so the second line is capitalized after the comma. It's purposely done, and I do know it exists. ;) Reviews are always welcome, both positive and negative. I hope everyone's enjoying the story! I have to devote some time to my Textnovel piece, but this will have a new chapter soon.

**Of Roughhousing and Dancing**

"Ring around the rosie, A pocket full of posies, Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down!" the children giggled as they landed on their bottoms after circling together.

"Let's play hide-and-go-seek," Robin suggested as he brushed the dirt from the seat of his pants. "You go and count, Sophine."

Sophine giggled as she ran to the knotted oak tree and started counting to twenty. She was six-years-old and loved spending afternoons with the village children as they played games. She enjoyed it so much, that it made concentrating on her morning lessons with her tutor hard.

"…Nineteen…twenty! Here I come!" she yelled, her sharp voice making a farmer's wife jump as she led a sheep through town. Sophine's eyes darted throughout the town square stopping when she spied a pair of boots sticking out behind the wheel of a flower cart.

"Found you!" she said as she touched Duncan's back with her small hand. He groaned and stood, going to the tree knowing that he would be the next seeker.

She found Irving and Edwin easily. The only one left was Emile. "Emile…where are you?" she said in a singsong voice as she walked slowly, looking to the right and left for her friend. She had walked up and down the street at least twice and knew he wouldn't have left the agreed boundaries; he was too chicken to do so. As she stood in front of the oak tree once again, leaning against its scratchy bark she pondered any possible hiding places he could be hiding in. Her other friends grew impatient, telling her to just call for him, when Sophine's eyes narrowed, seeing something.

Her boots stomped the entire way across the street and into the open door of the baker's shop. She saw Emile standing near the baker's wife as he ate a tiny cake. "Emile!" she scolded, pushing both hands against his back in frustration before placing them on her hips.

"You found me," he said, his mouth full of food. He crammed the last bit of cake in his mouth and wiped the crumbs from his hands.

"You know the rules; you cannot go inside a building to hide."

"I got hungry."

Sophine rolled her eyes, "You're like Hansel."

"Who?"

"Hansel from 'Hansel and Gretel.' Hansel and Gretel ate a witch's house in the woods and the witch was going to eat them after fattening them up. Only they were able to shove her in her oven first."

"I'm not Hansel. Besides, there aren't any witches here. Witchcraft is the same as magic. It's against the law." Neither of them saw the baker's wife smile knowingly as she kneaded some dough nearby.

"You have to be the seeker now instead of Duncan."

"No fair! If you found Duncan first, then he should be the seeker. It's one of the rules."

"You just broke the rules," Sophine argued as they exited the shop. She turned to the others and they all agreed Emile should be it.

Another hour of playing games and laughing with her friends commenced before Thomas, a servant from the castle came to fetch her. "But the sun's still up," Sophine said; usually her father let her play until the sun set.

"Princess," Thomas said, "there are guests at the castle today. They wish to see you. Your father instructed me to come and get you."

Sophine sighed, waved good-bye to her friends, and followed Thomas to the castle. She removed her muddy shoes before going inside as the head maid insisted she do daily. Padding barefoot along the carpeted hallways, she continued following Thomas until reaching the grand hall. Thomas silently opened the doors for her.

Instantly she grinned and ran to her father. "Papa!" she called. It was a rare treat for her to get to see her father when he was not working. Lost in her joy, she did not see the three figures seated near her father.

"Snow White!" he laughed, swinging his child in the air before setting her on her feet. "Sophine, this is King Henry, Queen Rosalind, and Prince Aaron from the kingdom beyond the Western woods. Henry is an old friend of mine and has come to hunt with me. Rosalind's brother will be joining us tomorrow along with his son, James. Go now and say hello. That's my good girl."

Sophine curtseyed before each saying "How do you do?" politely. Once finished, she hopped onto her father's knee and smiled at the guests.

"Run along with Aaron and show him your pony. That's my darling."

Jumping off her father's knee and landing on both feet clear off the dais, Sophine extended her hand to Aaron and practically dragged him out of the room to head to the stables, incessantly chatting about her beautiful white horse.

"There now," Rupert said, "What do you think of my little Snow White?"

"Snow White?" Rosalind seemed surprised by the name.

"A nickname Vivianna gave the child," Rupert explained.

"I hate to sound rude, Rupert, but the child…" she paused and looked to her husband for help.

"It seems that the princess may have tripped and fell in a mud hole today?" Henry questioned.

"That? She seemed rather clean to me."

"Clean? The child was filthy, Rupert. Why her beautiful face was covered in brown dirt, her skirt was ripped and caked at the bottom with mud, her hair is too short for the lady that she is, and her feet were bare," Rosalind stated.

"She gets her shoes muddy wrestling with the little boys, so she's been taught to leave her shoes by the entrance to the castle."

"Wrestling?" Henry chuckled, "Your daughter wrestles?"

Rupert tried to explain, "I've never raised a child, so I do what I can. Maybe it's from roughhousing with her all these years, but I do not know how to play with a child except from my own experiences growing up. At her age, I did the same, going into town and playing in the mud with the other children."

"Is that why she dresses so commonly?" Rosalind asked.

"It seems impractical to put her in beautiful dresses if she's just going to tear and dirty them up," Rupert said.

"Why is her hair so short?" Henry asked. He sounded very amused by Rupert's strange little girl.

"That was Sophine's idea, not mine. She begged me to cut it short because it got in her way when she played, but I refused and held fast for a long time. One day though, the kitchen help caught Sophine stealing a knife and raising it to her long hair. I decided it was safer to give her what she desired rather than let her use a knife to hack it off. I hope she will soon grow out of it and let her hair grow long again."

While the adults discussed the oddities of the way Rupert raised his daughter, Sophine stroked her horse's white mane, showing Aaron how the mare's hide glowed a brilliant white. "Isn't she the most beautiful horse you ever saw?" Sophine asked, looking up at Aaron's gaze.

"She's a fine beast," Aaron said in a disinterested voice.

"You're lying," Sophine accused.

"Excuse me?" Aaron sounded shocked.

Sophine smiled. "I can tell you're telling an untruth. You have a horse, don't you? And you think your horse is better than mine, isn't that right?" Her dark blue eyes challenged him.

Aaron was surprised. Never had anyone accused of him of lying, certainly not a child, especially not one a girl covered in dirt. What surprised him the most was the accuracy of her allegation. He had to admire her astuteness.

"I was trying to be polite. Your horse is a fine creature, but mine is the finest in all the lands. He's a handsome bay, at least hands taller than your horse. He can run faster and jump higher than any horse I've ever seen. He can most certainly outrun your mare."

"Bet he can't," Sophine said in a mocking tone.

"He could. I would prove it if I had brought him."

"You didn't bring him because you were afraid my horse would beat him," Sophine said, her head held high as she teased him.

She was really starting to get on his nerves. His parents actually expected him to marry _her_? Aaron hadn't seen Sophine since she was a baby, and he had no memories of her. His father insisted on telling the story of little baby Sophine pulling him to his knees the one time he had met her, much to Aaron's chagrin.

"I didn't even know you had a horse," Aaron pointed out. "I left mine because I rode in a carriage, and Thunder is not a draft horse. His brown eyes flashed angrily at her.

Sophine laughed boisterously and pointed at his face.

"What?" he asked.

"You look funny when you're mad." She continued to laugh. "Your face turns red and scrunches up. And your mouth turns into a line."

"_You're _one to talk about appearances," Aaron said in a smug tone.

"What?" she asked looking down at her garments.

"You're a princess but you look like a pauper." He gestured at her clothes, "As the future ruler of your country, you should be neat and proper at all times. You even stand hunched. Put your shoulders back." He walked behind her and pulled her young shoulders back. "Hold your head high," he said, tapping his hand under her chin until it rose a bit. "And please keep your face neat and tidy," he said.

"You don't have fun, do you?" she asked.

"Fun? I have plenty of fun."

Sophine shrugged and picked at her sleeve. Aaron sighed and looked over at the sun going down behind the stable. "I ride, play a few instruments, read, and sit beside my father when he does his kingly duties."

"Don't you ever play?" she asked.

"Play?"

"Games," Sophine said, drawing out the word. "You know, like tag, ring around the rosie, hide-and-go-seek, those sort of things."

"No."

"Do you ever go exploring in the woods?"

"No."

A look of pity painted across her dirt-covered features. "You should come play tomorrow in the village with me."

"My cousin is arriving tomorrow."

"He can come too."

"I'll think about it."

The next day, James arrived, and he asked Aaron where Sophine was. Aaron led him down to the village, knowing that Sophine had gone to play there. They saw a group of children playing in the streets, and Aaron turned to his friend, pointing to Sophine. "That's her."

"With the short hair and the dirt?" James asked, his face showing his disdain.

Aaron had his back to the little girl running around and playing, instead choosing to face his cousin. "Yes, that's Sophine."

James laughed. "You have to marry her?"

"Father says I must. Her father, King Rupert, and my father agreed to it the year she was born. Mother keeps telling me how beautiful she is, how pleased I'll be with her as my wife, and how massive my kingdom will be."

James was looking past him. He cracked a smile and said, "Your girlfriend's straddling some boy and beating him up."

"Huh?" Aaron asked, turning around and seeing Sophine, her skirt raised slightly as she sat on the chest of a boy, hitting him in the face. The other children had gathered around and were encouraging her, laughing at her poor victim.

"Come help," Aaron told James as he ran. Aaron grasped Sophine under her arms, pulling her off the boy as James helped the boy up.

"Let me go!" Sophine shouted, pulling against Aaron's hold on her, causing him to grip her harder. "I'm going to get you Richard!" she said.

"Hold on," Aaron said, lifting her off her feet. She kicked wildly like an angry cat, twisting and turning to try to get free. The heel of her boot made contact with Aaron's knee, making him grimace in pain. James came to his rescue and took one of her arms. The two carried her between them as they walked over to the side of the road.

"What was that fight about?" Aaron asked once the three sat down.

She turned to him with a scowl on her face. "I hate him."

James chuckled under his breath before saying, "That's apparent."

Sophine turned to him and looked at the eleven-year-old. "Who are you?"

"I'm James, Aaron's cousin."

She ignored him and turned back to Aaron. "What happened?" Aaron asked gently, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"He was making fun of me," Sophine said, raising her chin high and meeting his gaze.

"What did he say?" Aaron continued his gentle tone.

"He was making fun of my eyes," Sophine said in an affected voice. Her voice quieted, "A lot of them do."

"Them?"

"Other children." She turned her attention to the dirt at her feet, twisting the toe of her boot in the dirt to make a little hole. "They say that nobody has dark blue eyes like mine. They say they're ugly," her little voice broke.

"Hey now," Aaron said, raising Sophine's chin. He gave her a lopsided grin as he reached for a handkerchief he kept with him. Aaron wiped a dirt streak off her pale cheek and saw her bottom lip quiver just before tears started coming out. "None of that," he said, wiping her tears. "Having your dark eyes makes you special."

"It does?" she asked.

"Yeah. I haven't seen anyone with eyes like yours before either. I don't think I ever will."

"They're still ugly," she stated.

"No they're not. They're pretty," he said. Aaron found that he meant it. She did have pretty eyes, all deep blue and purple mixed together. The color reminded him of his parents' royal robes, which they only donned on special occasions.

Sophine sniffled and straightened her back.

"Blow," Aaron instructed, holding the handkerchief to her nose. She did as he said.

Looking up at him, she thanked him.

"No more fighting?" Aaron asked.

"No more fighting," Sophine sighed. "I was beating him though, wasn't I?"

Aaron and James looked at each other before chuckling and agreeing with her that she was beating Richard.

"Come and play," Sophine said, standing up to head back to the children. "We can play tag." The boys agreed and followed her.

"Ooh…Sophine's got a bloody lip," another child teased.

Sophine's little hands formed fists at her sides, and Aaron knew she was probably curling her lip in a sneer. He reached down and clasped her wrist. "Let's play tag," he said.

"My lip isn't bloody!" Sophine said. "You know it's just very red, Susan!"

Aaron cleared his throat, causing Sophine to look up at him. He arched a brow at her, giving her a silent warning. Sophine sighed and frowned at him. The girl had a temper; that much was for sure.

On the final day of their stay, Rosalind decided to confront Rupert on something that had been laying heavy on her mind. "Rupert, have you given any thought of finding her someone to teach her to be a lady? I asked her yesterday if she knew how to dance and she said no. I noticed over the past week that her table manners are atrocious, not to mention she plays far too much with little boys in the village. Can not her nurse work with her?"

"Mary doesn't spend much time with Snow White. I honestly don't think she knows the ways of a proper lady," Rupert admitted.

Rosalind had seen the nurse, and that was probably true. She was a gruff woman with a great big face complete with a few black hairs on her chin. She had large hands and gruff manners, barely speaking to anyone except in one-syllable answers. The nurse also seemed to walk like a great bear instead of with the grace of a lady.

"You need to find her someone to teach her," Rosalind said. "As the future queen of our great lands, she'll need to know the things needed for her station. Find a good dance instructor. They are always proper ladies that would be more than willing to teach the young princess everything she'll need to know."

Rupert thought of this as he and Sophine stood side-by-side watching the visitors' carriage roll away. He looked down at his daughter and saw her clothes were dirty and hair was unkempt. Once inside, he instructed the herald to make an announcement in the town square for a dance instructor. He would have asked some of the noble women, but he knew that Sophine had left a bad impression with most, if not all of them at the last ball. He smiled, remembering how Sophine had accidentally stepped on the skirt of one of the ladies' skirts and it had made a loud ripping sound, sending the woman seething out of the room.

The day of the proclamation about the king seeking an instructor for the princess on the proper ways to be a young lady came. Josephina smiled upon hearing the news. She had been grooming Lily for years in preparation for the day she would be the queen. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to get Lily in the castle. Get to the daughter, and you get the father. Having more bread to bake, she wiped her hands on her apron and went inside, determined to discuss the matter with Lily that evening.

"Guess who?" a deep voice asked behind Lily. Darkness from a pair of hands cloaked her eyes. Smiling, she turned and saw Floren standing before her. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I've got something for you." Reaching behind him in his pack, he pulled out a white rabbit pelt. Lily gasped and reached out to stroke the soft fur. "I know your birthday was last week, but I wanted to find the perfect gift."

"It's wonderful," she said, stretching up to kiss him. "It's absolutely perfect! Did you kill him yourself?"

His white teeth gleamed and crystal blue eyes sparkled as he answered her, "Yes. I killed him a couple of weeks ago."

"What a marvelous hunter you're turning out to be, Floren."

He shrugged, "Father is still disappointed that I failed at the blacksmith trade. I'm lucky the king was looking for another huntsman." Silent for a moment, he spoke again, "Lily, since you're two and twenty now, I was wondering if I could speak to your father. I mean, we love each other. I've waited all these years. We could have married before now, but I wanted to make something of myself first. I feel now that your father would welcome the match."

Lily pressed against him and wrapped her arms around his neck as her fingers played with his blonde hair. "Floren, I would love to be your wife, however…" She sighed and stepped back from him, "However, my mother does not wish for me to marry at this time."

"And your father?"

"He listens to Mother."

Floren grasped her hands in his, holding them to his breast. "Let me talk to them. Surely, they will see how suited we are for each other. I mean, who else could they possibly wish for you? There are so few suitors here, and those that exist are mediocre. I think-"

"Lily!" her mother's voice cut through the air. "Lily, where are you?"

Lily frowned before kissing Floren. Her mother reached them then.

"Cease this at once," she said, pulling her daughter away from Floren. "What will people say if they see you?" She looked angrily at Floren, "You need to return to where you came from. You're not to see my daughter again, is that clear?"

"Mother!" Lily said. "Floren and I love each other." She stepped beside Floren who promptly put an arm around her. "I wish to marry Floren."

Josephina plastered a fake smile on her face before saying she would consider it. Lily could read her like a book and knew her mother was lying. Floren smiled jubilantly and gave Lily the pelt before leaving.

"Stubborn chit," Josephina said under her breath as she wrenched her daughter's arm, dragging her home. "I have important matters to discuss with you."

She led Lily to the basement, telling her to sit at the table. Josephina sat beside her and matched the glare in her daughter's green eyes with a glare from her identical green eyes.

"The king is looking for a woman to teach Princess Sophine how to be a lady," Josephina started, looking at her daughter for any reaction. She saw none. "A woman to teach her how to talk properly, walk properly, dress, eat, and dance properly. We've been waiting for this opportunity. If you become the child's instructor, you will have access to the king. You can use your feminine wiles on him, charm him, woo him, make him fall in love with you and marry you."

"I'd rather marry Floren."

Josephina massaged her aching head in frustration. "Don't you see? You can bring magic back to the kingdom."

"I don't see how that helps me. Unlike you, I can live fine without magic."

"Being the king's wife means you'll have power and prestige. You will be draped in the finest robes, wear the most expensive jewelry, have everything you need to enhance your beauty. Lily, people will worship you."

Lily's green eyes sparkled in delight. She had not considered this possibility before. "Could I have a room full of looking glasses?"

Josephina gave her a curious look before throwing up a hand and saying, "For your dowry, I will make mirrors of all types; enchanted mirrors to give you power beyond your wildest dreams."

"Can one answer questions I ask it?"

"I don't see why not. I'll make a mirror of truth for you, my dearest."

"Good. When shall we go see the king?"

The very next morning, Josephina took her daughter to the king. She explained to King Rupert that her daughter would make an excellent mentor for his daughter. "She can dance beautifully, has perfect manners, and can teach the young princess how to properly groom herself."

Rupert narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lily as she stood meekly beside her mother, eyes downcast from the king to reflect her station. Her hands were clasped demurely in front of her, her back was straight as she stood tall, her clothes, hair, and skin were clean, and she had curtseyed perfectly for him. Fearing no other woman could match this one's skills, he gave his consent that she could teach Sophine. "You'll teach her in the afternoons after her school lessons with her tutor. You will teach her dancing and sewing. At the evening meal, you can proceed to teach her proper etiquette. All other times will be devoted to teaching her correct grooming and dress. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sire," she said, her eyes meeting his for only a fraction of a second.

"In payment, you shall have a room in the castle. Sophine's nurse is failing in her duties and will be let go. You may have her room. It adjoins Sophine's. I must warn you, it will be a challenge."

"I believe I can handle her, my king."

Sophine happily skipped up to her room that night after finishing her supper when she saw her nurse tying her belongings into a bundle. "Where are you going, Mary?" the child asked, leaning her elbows on the bed as she looked up at her nurse.

"Home," she answered in her usual gruff voice.

"You are home, silly," Sophine giggled.

"Old home."

"Old home?"

"Not working here."

"You're not going to be my nurse? Who is then?"

Mary shrugged and tied up her bundle, setting it on the floor next to the bed. She was to leave the first thing in the morning after dressing the princess. Looking up, she saw the little girl still standing there. "Bed," she said, pointing her finger toward the door that connected the two rooms.

Sophine sighed and walked slowly toward the door, dragging her feet in an effort to prolong the inevitable ritual of going to bed. With her hand touching the door, she turned and asked, "Will I ever see you again?"

"Morning."

"I mean…once you go home, will I see you after that?"

"No."

Sophine stood quietly as she watched her nurse sit on the stool in front of her mirror and plait her graying hair. She bit her lip and looked down at her feet in her little mules before running across the room and practically knocking Mary off her seat as she buried her face into Mary's shoulder. "I'll miss you," she whispered. Giving a quick kiss to her wrinkling cheek, Sophine released her grip and quietly exited to her room. Mary gently touched her cheek where the girl had bestowed a kiss and smiled softly. A single tear fell down her cheek. Mary was not a smart woman. She had always been rather slow, and people made fun of her. The queen had been the only one to ever show her an ounce of kindness, giving her the position of nursemaid to the newborn princess. Secretly, Mary had always felt as if she had failed the child because she couldn't teach her anything. The simple fact that the child loved her though had kept her going. She would miss little Sophine. She would miss listening to her endless chatter as she filled her in on everything that happened that day, scrubbing her dirty little cheeks until they gleamed white once again, and watching her grow up.

Checking on Sophine, she saw her father kissing the girl's cheek after tucking her in bed. Mary laid down on her own bed thinking about how the child would be okay without her for she had a father who loved her dearly.

The following afternoon, Sophine skipped merrily down the hall, looking forward to going to play when Thomas blocked her. "Good day," she said, smiling up at him. She moved aside and continued forward only to have Thomas move to the same side of the hall as her. She darted to the other side, and he darted there too. Laughing with merriment, she looked up at him, "You want to play a game?"

"There is no time for games today, Princess. Today, you shall start your lessons with Miss Lily."

"Lessons?"

"Dancing lessons, sewing lessons, etiquette lessons, all of the lessons necessary to turn you into a proper lady."

"How long until I can go out to play?"

Thomas felt sorry for the girl as he offered his hand and accepted her much smaller one before leading her toward a large room downstairs. "I'm afraid there will be no more playing."

Sophine stopped and dug in her heels. She felt the carpet burn the skin on her heels as she looked up at him. "You can't be serious."

"Your father wishes this, Princess. I must follow his command."

"Let me speak with him."

"He's busy. He wishes for you to become a proper lady like your mother always wanted."

Sophine looked up at a nearby painting. It was of her mother holding a small spaniel on her lap. She saw how beautiful her mother was, sitting elegantly with a nice dress on, her long hair in a lovely coif, and clean skin that glowed radiantly. Then she looked at her reflection in the small mirror on the table in the hallway under the portrait. She saw her short, curly hair, not much longer than a boy's and her simple clothing. Her toes curled in shame, trying to bury themselves in the carpeting. Her deep blue eyes looked up at Thomas, "Might I go and change first?"

Dressed in a dress more fitting for a princess and wearing her good shoes, Sophine entered the room and saw what had to be the most beautiful woman in the world standing in the center of the room. She curtseyed when she saw the princess and told her to come to her.

Sophine straightened her back, pulling her shoulders back and puffing out her chest as Aaron had taught her. Walking forward, she felt awkward in her movement, her back feeling tight and uncomfortable.

Raising an elegant brow, the beautiful woman circled Sophine and examined her with an appraising eye. "Is this your best gown?"

"No. It's my second best. Papa doesn't let me wear my best except on special occasions."

"It's far too plain. You will need new clothing at once. I will discuss the matter with your father. You shall also grow your hair out once again. No girl cuts her hair short like yours, especially not a girl who will one day be sovereign of her land." Lily picked up the girl's hand and looked at her nails. "This will not do. You must have clean nails at all times. Dirt does not touch a lady."

"Your name is Lily, right?" Sophine asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know my name?"

"Yes. You are called Sophine, Princess."

"Papa calls me Snow White. My mother gave me that name."

"Interesting choice," Lily remarked. She had to admit that Sophine had pale skin, nearly white in its color.

Thus, the introductions had been made. Dancing was a clumsy exercise that resulted in many sore toes for Lily and "I'm sorrys" from Sophine. Eventually, she grew used to it and found dancing to be quite fun, especially twirling.

Sewing proved more awkward as Sophine stuck her finger with a needle several times. She would get stern looks from Lily when she'd raise her finger to suck on the blood. Lily brought her a thimble the next day to use, and once she stopped losing it off the tip of her finger, she became quite adept at sewing since she no longer stuck herself. After a few weeks, she had finished her first piece and shown her father who marveled over it, telling her that she had skills like her mother. Knowing that her mother had enjoyed sewing, she gave it more attention and learned to like it too.

Table manners were much easier to learn. Sophine found them boring, but she had grown up watching elegant people eat, so that wasn't much of a challenge. She found all of the other lessons to be incredibly boring, but she picked up everything naturally.

Her father gave her old dresses to the servants' little girls, and Sophine lamented their absence. She had new clothes, all of them beautiful but were to be kept clean. The days of childhood play were in her past, and she wondered if her friends missed her.

Soon her hair had grown to her shoulders, and it reminded her of Lord Hanover's water spaniels. "It will grow to look better, I assure you," Lily told her. Lily was good to her, a patient teacher to the little girl. Besides teaching her, Lily told her stories like her mother used to, she would listen to Sophine's jokes and laugh with her, and she always treated Sophine with respect and kindness. Lily even gave Sophine a silk pink ribbon to tie back her growing hair as a gift for Sophine's seventh birthday. What Sophine failed to notice though was the fact that Lily was growing closer to her beloved father.


	4. Mirrors, Mirrors, Everywhere

Thank you all for your reviews! I'm sorry this took so long to get up; I'm not a fan of rhyming, so I found this chapter difficult and struggled to write it due to the amount of rhyming necessary for the mirror of truth. Because it is a magic mirror, expect the syntax to be different than what is considered normal (I was shocked to find that my grammar check only argued over one line that the mirror said); I did try to make it sound pretty, but like I said, I'm no rhymer. I did have a lot of fun coming up with the nine mirrors. Each has a special gemstone that corresponds to them. See the author's note (A/N) at the bottom to learn about 6 of the 9 and why they have their certain stones. In upcoming chapters, I get to reveal where the stones come from. Luckily, I won't have to rhyme nearly as much anymore. Please keep reviewing. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

**Mirrors, Mirrors, Everywhere**

"You cannot marry him!" Floren exclaimed.

"I can and will," Lily said.

"You love me. We are meant to be together, Lily." In desperation, he gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him, his eyes searching hers for any sign of the love for him that he knew dwelt within her.

"Don't make this harder for me than it already is," Lily whispered, turning her head away as her eyes filled with tears.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you marrying Rupert?" Rupert's name came out as a sneer on Floren's handsome lips.

"You know my family's secret," Lily said, keeping her eyes focused on a wall and not on Floren.

"The magic? Yes."

"Mother thinks that if I marry King Rupert, I can convince him to remove the laws of his grandfather. She set the whole thing up."

"You mean she got Rupert to take you on as a teacher for the princess? It may have been convenient that the princess needed lessons in grace, but I would hardly give her credit for the coincidence."

"It was a coincidence that Sophine needed me to make her into a sophisticated young lady, but that was not Mother's doing."

"And what was then, pray tell? Did she use some type of spell to make Rupert fall in love with you?"

"No! This plan has been in effect for years."

"How long? Since the queen's dea-" Floren's eyes widened as he abruptly stopped talking. Lily looked up at him and watched the color drain from his features. His eyes wide, he whispered, "Did she kill Queen Vivianna?"

Lily sighed and looked away, trying to come up with the correct words. "Not…she didn't kill her by mortal means."

"Magic then." It was clear now to Floren. In Josephina's desperation to bring magic back to the kingdom so she could practice without fear of being killed for her art, she killed the queen.  
Lily's silence was deafening, confirming his words. "How could she? How could she kill Queen Vivianna? Vivianna, our beloved queen. Is your mother's wish to practice magic so strong that she would use it to kill? Could she not have moved to another kingdom? Could she not have tried to have an audience with our king and explain her side? Is your mother as obsessed for her love of magic, spells, enchantments, and all those other damned things as you are preoccupied with your looks?" Floren turned to walk away.

"Floren! Floren, wait!" she called, laying her slender hand on his arm. "Please."

"I understand. I see now why she despised me. We could have had everything, Lily."

"We still can. I will marry Rupert, and we can continue seeing each other. He's much older than me, and when he dies, we can marry."

"An affair? Do you think I would risk my life by sleeping with the king's wife? You think highly of yourself, Lily."

"It is the only way," she said as he stormed out of the room. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. This was her mother's fault. Her mother would not get her wish. No, Lily would make sure of that. She would still marry the king, for it would bring her the praise and recognition that her beauty deserved, but she would not try to get Rupert to allow magic back in the kingdom. Her mother could continue practicing in her basement in secret, just as Lily would continue practicing magic in secret.

***

The entire kingdom celebrated King Rupert's wedding to Lily. It had been over five years since the last queen's demise, and the people rejoiced in the king's happiness. The commoners especially loved the new queen since she had been one of them. Sophine was excited to have a new mother, especially such a beautiful one. Her hair had grown out fast and was now down her waist in beautiful black curls.

During the couple's honeymoon, Sophine saw carts carrying large, flat objects to the castle. She went into the hallway and watched the men lug the black velvet covered items into what had been her mother's sewing room. Once the last was in the room, Thomas locked the door.

"What's in there, Thomas?" Sophine asked.

"It's the new queen's dowry, gifts from her mother."

"Why did you lock the door?"

"The queen insisted a lock be installed and that she alone possess the key. I am to guard it until her return." He bent down conspiratorially and whispered in her ear, "You should go and play while you have the opportunity."

Sophine smiled at him until he walked away, leaving her standing in front of the door. She didn't want to play; she wanted to know what lied beyond the door. Quite certain that she was alone, Sophine reached for the knob and turned it just to see if it was truly locked. It was. She blew frustrated, sending a wayward curl up into the air before it fell back onto the porcelain skin of her forehead. Someday…someday, she would get to see what was inside the room and under the velvet.

***

Lily lay beside her husband in their bed, staring up at the ceiling in frustration. They had been married for five months, and she felt no love for him. She hated sharing a bed with him and wished to be with Floren. His anger had softened, as she knew it would. There was no hope of being with her love if she was stuck in the king's bedchamber night after night.

Elbowing the king, she heard him grumble before opening a blue eye and looking at her. "What is it, my darling?" he yawned.

"Rupert, I wish to have my own room."

"You have a room," he said in a sleepy voice. "You have a room downstairs where you store your dowry."

"I wish to have my own bedchamber."

The moonlight from the window shone on him as he gave her a confused look, "Why is that?"

"I do not feel comfortable sharing a bedroom, my lord, especially a room where your beloved first wife slept for so many years. I do not wish for a room far from you. I was thinking about Snow White's room."

"You wish to share a room with Snow White? But why?"

"I do not wish to share her room. I wish to have it for my own. I think she would do well to sleep in the East Wing. Her tutor resides there, and she studies in a room in that wing. She could do her schoolwork in her room. Besides, she told me the other day how she so loves the sunrise. She could see it every morning from her bedroom window."

"I'll think about it."

Lily's jaw set in anger and her eyes flashed. She murmured an enchantment under her breath and watched as the king's eyes closed and slowly opened, revealing a glazed look. Satisfied that the spell had worked, she said, "You _will_ move Snow White to the East Wing. You _will_ allow me to sleep in her old room." She whispered another part of the spell, and he blinked again, his eyes suddenly clearer.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, my angel. I shall set it in motion in the morning. Go to sleep." He turned over and pulled the heavy blankets up higher.

Lily leaned her upper body on his shoulder. "There is another issue, my lord."

"Hmm?"

"I feel I shall need a protector, a guardian so to speak. I think some of the servants hate that a lowly woman such as myself is now queen and can give them orders."

"Nonsense. They respect you, in fact they look up to you since you were one of them, a servant to the king."

Sighing in frustration, she said, "I would feel safer with a guard, my king and husband."

"You'll be in the room next to mine. I can protect you."

"With all due respect, sire, you'll need your rest. I was thinking of using a huntsman."

"Huntsman?"

"Yes, one of the huntsmen can sleep in the adjoining room where I used to slumber when I was Sophine's instructress. I was thinking of Floren, my lord."

"Floren?"  
"He was a childhood friend of mine. He is a good and honorable man. No man is his equal with a knife. You said the very same, my lord."

"I did?"  
Lily rolled her eyes, aggravated that this conversation was dragging on. "About a fortnight ago, you said it to Lord Cumberland at a dinner."

"Oh, that's right."

"Floren can sleep in the room then?"

"I don't think it would be proper for a young, unmarried man to sleep in a room adjoining a beautiful, young queen. No, I shall protect you if the occasion arises, though I find it difficult to believe it ever will."

Lily laid back down and gripped the sheets in her anger. Calming herself, she whispered the persuasion enchantment and told Rupert that he would allow Floren to move in to protect his wife. Rupert agreed, and quite satisfied with herself, Lily drifted off to sleep.

***

She had tried daily to get into the locked room but to no avail. It was frustrating to Sophine because of her curious nature. She had an idea though. Her stepmother had gone to have lunch with Lady Morton at the Lady's manor in the country and would be gone for a few hours. It would be the perfect time to look for the key to the room.

Sneaking from the kitchen where she had had her lunch, Sophine climbed the great stone stairs, her tiny footsteps making small echoes. She entered what had once been her room; it still confused her as to why Papa had removed her from it. Sophine closed the door behind it and tiptoed over to the adjoining door, opening it to make sure no one was within the room.

She started at the vanity with the large mirror. There wasn't a key on the vanity though. It had one drawer, and in it, she found only a small mirror with a scratch across the surface. The wardrobe provided nothing of any use to her. Sophine checked under the mattress, for she hid secret treasures under her own such as a heart-shaped rock she had found while out walking one day. There was nothing there. The last place to look was a trunk at the foot of her bed. Lucky for Sophine, it did not have a lock, so she sat down and searched inside. The inside was mostly full of more clothing and some jewelry. Tucked into the corner was a white rabbit pelt. Sophine gasped at the pretty white hide and lifted it out of the trunk. She held it in her arms and stroked the soft fur, having forgotten all about the quest for the key.

Carefully she refolded the rabbit fur and was about to place it back in the corner when she saw the gleam of metal. Sophine reached down and picked up a key. Smiling victoriously, she clutched the key in her fist and closed the trunk.

Swiftly walking down the hall, she gripped the key tightly until her knuckles turned white. Once downstairs she went to the locked room. Looking left then right, she made sure no one saw her insert the key. Turning it, she heard the lock as it clicked. Holding her breath, she rushed inside and shut the door behind her. Heart pounding in her chest, she leaned her forehead against the door and let out her breath.

After several quiet seconds, she straightened her spine and turned around. She finally saw what was in the room…mirrors. Nine mirrors lined the room: some were attached to the wall, others were freestanding, some were oval, others were rectangular, some had silver frames, others gold, and one was pewter. All glittered in the room for the two mirrors directly across from the large window reflected the light into mirrors across the room.

In awe, Sophine walked and looked at each in turn. She touched the beautiful gems that decorated the frames. Each mirror had a different jewel. One had opals which shown in various colors, another rubies, a third had pieces of cut amber, a fourth had onyxes as black as Sophine's hair. There was a mirror with amethysts, one with emeralds, another had sapphires shining dark blue, and still another had pearls. The final mirror, the one directly opposite of the door was the most magnificent. It was a large, oval mirror hung on the wall. The frame was silver and inlaid with hundreds of diamonds. Its jewel-encrusted frame had at least five times the amount of jewels of any other. There were so many, that at first Sophine wasn't sure if it was silver or gold.

Laughing, she twirled in front of the mirrors, seeing her dress spread out from her feet. Sophine walked up to a mirror and stared at her face before crossing her eyes. She walked to each mirror and made a different face in front of each. Every time, she tried to contort her face even more strangely to make an even crazier, uglier face. She'd pull her upper lip up until it touched her nose and exposed her white teeth, she'd puff her cheeks out until they hurt, she took her hands and put them along her face, smoothing her cheeks down, making sure the corners of her eyes were pulled down too in order to make it look like her face was melting, and so forth.

She just finished with her final face at the mirror near the door when she heard a voice. _What is it you wish of me? Ask and I shall answer thee._

Sophine startled and slowly looked around the room, her heart thundering in her chest. "Who-who's there?" she asked in a quiet voice. No one answered. She walked around the room, checking behind the mirrors. "You said you would answer my wish." She walked near the diamond mirror. "Won't you tell me where you are?"

_You look long and far, but I am beside where you are._

Sophine turned toward the sound of the voice and jumped startled when she saw someone. She breathed a sigh of relief to discover it was her own reflection. Looking up at the mirror on the wall, she asked. "Mirror, are you talking to me?"

_Yes, Princess Sophine. I am one of the mirrors of the queen._

"Wow…a talking mirror. Do all of you talk?"

_A mirror to spy, a mirror to travel by. A mirror to reflect, a mirror to connect. A mirror to admire, a mirror to reveal that which is most dire. A mirror to control, a mirror to help with one's goal. A few can speak such as I, as the mirror of truth, I cannot lie._

"Can I use the mirrors?"

_For the mirrors along the wall with the window, I must say no. Spells are required for their ears, spells that your father fears. I and mirrors on the other wall, however will work for all._

Sophine immediately skipped to her right to the wall opposite of the window. She went to the mirror nearest the door, and looked into the mirror. This mirror was fastened to the wall and was in a long, golden rectangular frame with amethysts across the top. Touching the golden side, Sophine asked, "How does it work?"

_She speaks and her voice is that of an angel. Her hair shimmers black as the night sky. Her skin is as pale as ivory, and her eyes a blue to envy. Her lips red as a cherry. Such a beautiful child is our Princess Sophine, _the amethyst mirror spoke softly.

The mirror kept babbling about Sophine's beauty. Rolling her eyes and stepping back, she walked back to the mirror of truth. Once out of sight of the mirror, it became silent. "Which mirror was that?"

The mirror that lavished you with praise, will admire you all of your days.

Sophine walked to the mirror that stood beside the mirror that admired her. This one was freestanding and very long, also a rectangle. The color of the frame was silver with gold leaves. Each leaf had an emerald. Sophine touched the mirror, hoping it would make the mirror work as he last had. Nothing happened. "This one's not working," she said. Frustrated, she touched the mirror's glass surface. The surface shivered and moved as if she had touched the surface of a pond. Little ripples from where her finger had touched spread out in concentric circles across the surface. Sophine put both hands against the mirror, and both went inside as if going under water, but it did not feel wet. Cautiously, she moved forward, stepping carefully over the frame's edge.

Sunlight bathed the room she entered. Sophine looked around, confused. Behind her, she saw a different mirror, the one she had stepped out of. The mirror was plain with a wooden frame nailed to the wall. It was the exact same size as the one in the castle. Looking around, she saw a bed with a green quilt. A bedside table with a book and unlit candle stood beside the bed. The room was small but cozy. Sophine went to the window and looked through it. She could see the town square and knew she was still in her kingdom. Seeing the oak tree that she used to play near, Sophine knew she must be in the baker's home since that tree stood across from it. Fearing someone would catch her up here, she went to the mirror and touched it. Sophine sighed in relief when she discovered she could walk through the mirror.

Once back inside the palace, she went back to the mirror of truth. "If that's the traveling mirror, how come it leads to that room? Will it not let me go wherever I want?"

_The mirror of which you speak is not the mirror you seek. The mirror with emeralds so green connects to the childhood bedroom of the queen. To travel, seek the mirror with the ambers of gold, but if I might be so bold, the right spell must it be told._

To her dismay, Sophine saw the freestanding rectangular mirror next to the window. It was one of Sophine's favorites because instead of a frame, the right and left sides were the only ones with any type of border. Each had a tree trunk made of silver, and the amber stones set in the tops of the branches in what looked like autumn leaves of yellow, red, orange, and gold.

It was as it should be, because she wouldn't really know where to travel to since she had never left the kingdom. Sophine went to the mirror next to the emerald one. This mirror was an oval, large and standing tall. The frame was silver and dotted with sapphires. She touched the surface, somehow hoping it would let her go somewhere. It did not. Instead, the image changed from her small figure to what looked like a little imp sneaking through the forest. Sophine watched, amazed as the imp scampered and played. "Mirror? What is this?"

_The image that you see is really the spirit inside of thee. As I say things that are true, the mirror that reflects shows what is inside of you. Stare for long and you shall next see, how others perceive thee._

Sophine laughed with joy seeing the little sprite have fun in the woods, playing games. It was just like her, a little spirit that enjoyed having fun and running around. It was too bad she did not get to enjoy playing freely more often. The image dissolved back to her own familiar face and body. That image quickly left, and the one to follow was a radiant sun, so blinding that Sophine had to squint and turn her head away.

_Princess Sophine it seems, brings light and beauty to all just as the sun that beams_, the mirror of truth spoke up.

"And what do you do?" Sophine asked the final mirror along the wall. She stood in front of it, looking up at the mirror hanging on the wall. This mirror was the smallest in the room, though easily about half her height, it almost appeared as a square, but it was just slightly longer than it was wide. It was a pewter mirror with pearls evenly spaced in a line around the entire frame. The space between each pearl was about the width of a pearl, and the pearls were about as big as the width of her thumb. She stroked a pearl with her finger as she stared at it, waiting expectedly. Nothing happened. Touching the surface did not make the mirror stir or change her reflection. "I think this one is broken," she remarked.

_Tell me who you wish to see_, the mirror said. Unlike the other talking mirrors, it had a woman's voice, soft and gentle and seemed to float to her ears as if riding a breeze.

"Show me Papa," she said. The image immediately changed to show her father riding his horse along the road. Sophine clapped her hands, excited. "Now show me…" she paused to think before saying, "Show me Emile."

The image changed to reveal Emile turned over his mother's knee as she spanked him. Sophine could hear his mother telling him he must never use that word again. "Oh Emile," Sophine sighed, shaking her head in sympathy yet felt a bit of humor watching her old friend squirm and beg her to stop. "Serves him right," Sophine said. She looked over her left shoulder to the truth mirror, "I've heard him say bad words before."

Looking back at the mirror, she whispered, "Show me Prince Aaron." The mirror obliged, showing the prince. Standing in very formal clothing as stiff as a statute, Aaron stood at his father's right hand. His father and mother sat in their thrones, and Sophine could see that the three were posed for a session with an artist. "Poor Aaron," Sophine sighed. She felt bad for him and knew what he was going through. Her father had insisted that she sit for a painting the month before. Aaron's image faded when she left.

"I do wish I knew the spell to make the traveling mirror work," she said, letting her fingers trail along the ridges of the silver trunks that held the mirror's glass as she stared at it. "Can you not tell me the spell?" she asked as she looked over at the truth mirror.

_I am bound not to tell you, princess. Even if causes you distress._

Sophine decided it was time to leave. She hoped one day she could come back and see the beautiful mirrors again. "Good-bye," she called as she headed for the door. Just as her hand touched the knob, she heard the truth mirror speak out.

_I have something to tell you, wait! You must hear before it's too late. The mirror that reveals that which is most dire, has spoken to me, I am no liar. The mirror has a warning you must heed, a warning you need._

Swallowing, she turned around and looked at the mirror of truth. "You can hear it?"

_Not all mirrors talk, that much is true. However, to me, talk they all do. Shall you stay to hear the warning the warning the mirror gives today?_

"Yes, will you please tell me what I need to know?"

_Keep your name in your memory always; remember it all of your days._

"I don't understand; it doesn't make sense. Why would I forget my name?"

_The mirror says in the future someone close to you will betray, for your identity, they look to slay._

"Can you tell me who?" Sophine asked. She felt a lump of dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

_The future, I do not see. I am the mirror of truth, and that's all I can be. Important it must be, for the mirror of dire to give a warning to thee._

"Thank you," Sophine whispered. "I will remember the warning." Her hand on the knob, she gasped in horror as the cold metal turned in her hand. The door opened to reveal the queen.

Queen Lily's green eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger. "Snow White! How dare you steal the key and sneak into my room of mirrors." Quick as a flash, the queen's hand grabbed Sophine by the front of her dress, nearly lifting the girl off the ground. Sophine winced as the fabric cut into the back and sides of her neck. She placed her small hands around the queen's larger one, dropping the stolen key.

"Let me go, please," she begged.

Lily pulled her into the hallway and deposited her there, letting go so suddenly that Sophine fell on her bottom on the hard floor. Whimpering, she looked up at her stepmother.

"What have you to say for yourself?"

"I-I'm so sorry," Sophine said, crawling backward for she feared the seething look on her stepmother's face. "I shouldn't have done it. I just wanted to know what was in there. I should have asked you first. I-"

"Silence!" Lily said. Her voice was not loud, but it had the force of anger behind it and quieted Sophine quicker than any raised voice would have. "This is _my_ room, _my_ private sanctuary. You have invaded it as well as my bedchamber."

Sophine's heart raced in fear. Her stepmother looked to be a most fearsome beast in her rage. Her honey-colored skin turned red, making it a red gold tone like her hair, and her eyes grew greener, colder, eviler. "Please forgive me," Sophine whispered.

"What did you see in there?"

"Mirrors. I just saw the mirrors."

Lily's eyes narrowed and she hovered over Sophine, looking akin to a snake about to strike. As if peering into her soul to find the nugget of truth buried within, Lily said, "Tell me the truth. You saw something besides yourself within my looking glasses, did you not? Or perhaps you _heard _something instead?"

Sophine felt uncomfortable as she admitted, "Yes."

"You will speak of what you saw or heard to no one, is that clear?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"If you breathe one word of what you saw to anyone, I will make your life miserable. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Leave then," Lily said. Lily turned and stormed inside the mirror room, shutting the door behind her.

Sophine stayed on the floor for a few moments, her head reeling before standing up and walking on shaking legs to her room.

Turning to the mirrors, Lily looked at each in turn, as if staring down naughty children. "One or more of you revealed your powers to the child. Which ones did?" She stopped in front of the mirror of truth. "Tell me, my looking glass, which mirrors betrayed me to the child?"

_Betrayal did not occur here today me queen, but things in the mirrors the child has seen. Mirrors along the window wall, did not reveal anything to the child at all. The other five, me included did reveal, but I am confident the child will not squeal._

Upon hearing this revelation, Lily went straight to the emerald mirror and walked in. She rushed down the stairs to the main room where her mother was baking and father stood speaking to another townsperson. Three others stood in the shop, and all looked surprised to see their queen. Immediately the women curtseyed and the men bowed. Lily ignored them, walking to her mother to whisper, "I must speak with you immediately."

Josephina finished kneading the dough, setting it in the bowl to rise before following her daughter to the basement. Shutting the door behind them, Josephina turned to Lily with happy tears in her eyes, "You're with child!"

"No!" Lily exclaimed. "I have no desire for children. Children would ruin my figure." Lily's hands trailed down her slim waist and hips to make her point.  
"You should give your husband a child. If you do, he'll be more willing to listen to our plea to have magic back in the kingdom."

"Mother, I came here to talk about something very serious. Today, I caught Sophine in my room of looking glasses."

Josephina paled and felt weak as she lowered herself to a chair. "You-you don't think the child will tell her father about the magic mirrors?"

"She claims she won't."

"How could you be so careless to leave the door unlocked?"

"I did not. She found the key."

"Found? Why didn't you wear the key 'round your neck like I told you to?"

"It makes an unsightly bulge right here," Lily said, pointing to the space between her breasts.

Josephina looked heavenward, amazed at her daughter's stupidity. "Lily, darling, is the lack of an ugly bulge worth more than your very life? You do know that beauty is nothing if it is under the ground, lifeless? If the wrong person entered and discovered the magic mirrors, you could be killed. I could be killed. Why did I ever agree to make those mirrors?"

"You should have made them work for me and me only," Lily accused.

"Magic is not bent to the will of one. Once an object is enchanted, it is enchanted for all. Besides, one of those mirrors is to be a gift to King Rupert once he agrees to lift the ban on magic."

Josephina referred to the mirror that revealed the dire situations a person or land was in. In the meantime, Josephina had hopes that Lily would use it to learn of any threats that would hinder the efforts to bring magic back. Knowing her daughter though…Lily most likely ignored that mirror completely as well as Josephina's true reflection mirror. Lily had balked when Josephina explained that particular mirror's powers to her. Deep inside, Lily was afraid she would find her true self to be far less beautiful than her physical beauty.

"Do you trust Sophine?" Josephina asked.

"Yes. The child is curious and can be annoying, but she has a sweet spirit and kind nature. I believe she understands the consequences of using magic. I believe she loves and respects me enough to keep the secret. I did threaten her though; she seemed quite frightened of me."

"Threats will keep her at bay for a while. The best advice would be to go to her and occasionally take her to the mirrors and let her see them. Beware though not to let her use the four spell mirrors, and be careful what questions she asks the mirror of truth," Josephina said. "When not with her, spy on her with the mirror. Ask the mirror about her. If there is any hint of her revealing the secret, you must do what you must."

"I couldn't…you don't mean _kill_ the princess?" Lily looked horrified. Even if the little girl annoyed her, Lily had grown fond of her, even more so than she had her own husband.

Josephina's eyes spoke volumes. Clenching her jaw, Lily nodded her thanks before leaving the basement to climb upstairs to her old room and leave through the mirror.

Needing a boost in self-confidence, Josephina stood in front of her favorite mirror, her beautiful amethyst mirror. A flood of compliments floated to her ears from the mirror's dulcet tones.

Satisfied and happy, Josephina removed her clothing and stood before the mirror of truth, gazing into its shining surface. "Looking glass upon the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

_I can see everything even from my wall, and my lady queen is the fairest one of all._

Josephina smiled brilliantly and admired her perfect form before donning her clothing and leaving the room to find her stepdaughter.

A/N: First off, you'll notice that I use looking glass and mirror as terms for the mirrors. No, I'm not using the thesarus and trying to switch it up. Looking glass is the older term, more fitting of the time period. I chose to let Lily use looking glass as her term for mirror. Everyone else refers to them as mirrors because I find the word mirror to be more pleasing to the ear and the eye. I combined Grimm's line that the queen uses to consult the looking glass with Disney's. Grimm uses "Looking-glass upon the wall, who is fairest of us all?" and "Looking-glass against the wall, who is fairest of us all?" Disney used "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? So, I combined the two. Anyway, onto mirrors and gems. Six of the nine revealed their colors here. Mirror of truth is diamond because diamonds are clear and pure, much like the truth is. Mirror of admiration uses amethysts because of their purple color; purple is a color that typically symbolizes royalty. Mirror that connects uses emeralds because of the queen's green eyes; green is a color I associate with Lily for her eyes and jealously over Sophine's beauty (coming in chapter 5). Mirror of reflection uses sapphires for the simple reason that it's my birthstone and "reflects" a bit about me. Mirror to spy uses pearls because they resemble eyes. And finally, my personal favorite mirror, the mirror to travel by uses amber because amber is such an earthly substance from resin. Ancient insects have been found in amber, and to me it represents the world more than the others. I love the design for that mirror the most because it foreshadows the forest in the story. Yes, I made up the eight extra mirrors in part to make future scenes work more easily; they are not in the Grimm version. I wanted to have a more in-depth story and add more magic to it. The other 3 mirrors and their connections to their gemstones will be revealed as the story develops.


	5. Jealousy Rears Its Ugly Head

In my defense, I tried to put this up earlier in the day, but the upload thing wasn't working. Sorry for the long wait. I rewrote this chapter at least three times and took off a chunk last night before deciding I was finished with it. Not my favorite chapter in the world at all because it's a lot of trying to make sense of the fairy tale where a lot was left unsaid. This does have a point for the ending, I'm keeping the goal in mind. Finally she'll be an adult in chapter 6! I can't wait to get to the dwarfs. Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate it and tried to hurry to get this up. Also, look for an author's note at the bottom for another mirror/gem meaning!

**Jealously Rears its Ugly Head**

Another year passed and Sophine grew beautifully. At nine, her beauty was breathtaking. "Such a lovely girl," the townsfolk would remark whenever they saw Sophine. "She's as beautiful as day," a lady said. Being beautiful was not a priority for Sophine, and she did not take notice to the whispered compliments. However, her stepmother did.

When Lily had first married Rupert, the remarks she heard when walking with Sophine were about how beautiful she was, how she was born to be a queen, how the flowers paled in comparison, and other similar praises. About six months into the marriage, she heard people whisper about how lovely Lily looked with her pretty stepdaughter, how the two complemented each other, and how the king was rich in beauties.

Over time, the comments became less about her, less about the two of them, and more about Sophine. Lily enjoyed taking her stepdaughter into town to speak with the common folk, people that Lily had grown up around. Sophine was usually a joy to be with, a breath of fresh air with her charm and newfound grace, grace that Lily had proudly watched develop under her very own guidance. As the admirations for Sophine grew and grew, Lily began to notice that what folks said was true; Sophine was a striking child with a remarkably beautiful face. Lily noticed Sophine's features were similar to Vivianna's. Combining those features with her unique eyes, luxurious ebony curls, porcelain skin, crimson lips, and beautiful dresses, she looked like a living doll. A normal woman would have been proud of her beautiful daughter with the beautiful spirit to match, but Lily felt only anger and a sense of dread.

Fearing to ask her mirror, she avoided her special room. She refused to let Sophine see them either, which disappointed the girl since she usually got to see the mirrors every Friday, a moment both usually looked forward to. Lily had enjoyed letting Sophine see the mirrors every week. She found it amusing what the child would ask the diamond mirror of truth. She always wanted to see her father and little friends in the spying pearl mirror. Once, she asked to see Lily, and laughed at the reflection of Lily in the mirror room, standing just behind her. Lily had made an ugly face for the occasion, surprising her little stepdaughter. Lily would also let her travel through the emerald mirror, and Sophine usually came back with a little cake or bit of nut bread from Josephina. After Sophine finished playing with the mirrors, she would sit with Lily on the floor, and the two would catch each other up on the past week. Yes, those were pleasant times.

In the middle of a sleepless night, Lily decided she needed some counsel about her nagging problem. She moved Floren's arm from around her waist, got out of bed, and quietly put her robe on. The trunk's hinges squeaked when she opened it, and she still, taking a few seconds to make sure Floren still slumbered. Positive that he was, Lily continued until she removed the key.

Entering the mirror room, Lily went straight to her helping mirror. The long, tall, golden mirror hung on the wall and had two long dragons along the sides, their tails entwining at the bottom of the mirror with their faces at the top corners. Flames of ruby from each one's open mouth met in the center of the top edge, glittering brilliantly. Lily saw the surface had a light layer of dust over its glass surface. She went to the corner of the room and picked up one of the long black velvet cloths neatly folded there. She went and wiped each mirror lovingly one by one until all were dust-free.

Standing in front of the mirror, she whispered a spell. The mirror flashed once before a face appeared within the surface. It was a four-foot masculine face with serpentine features like the dragons that made up the frame; the face looked as if it were etched into the glass.

"Looking glass give me your advice. I seek your wisdom for a problem," Lily said.

The face raised an eyebrow and said in a deep, slightly sinister voice, _Continue_.

"My stepdaughter grows more beautiful day by day. I fear her beauty shall soon surpass my own. I seek your vast knowledge."

Stretching forward, the face moved making the surface go with it like a hand under a piece of cloth. Lily took a step back as the large head moved the glass surface with neither a crack nor a shatter. Everything was seamless as the face emerged. It now extended three feet out of the mirror's surface, the outlines of the features still looking etched in white while the three-dimensional face distorted Lily's reflection, making her body stretch and squash as the reflection bent around the strange shape.

_Remember a book, a book from your teenage years, a book your mother forbade you to read. Seek the book, seek the potion to erase the memory and seek the spell to remove a word or name from all who speak it._

"I don't understand," Lily said.

The mirror sighed, aggravated. It was the testiest of the mirrors, its entire existence geared toward revenge, wrath, and punishment. It was meant to resolve problems but in a more hurtful way, more evil way. When Josephina had cast the mirror, Lily had snuck to her mother's basement room and added an extra ingredient to the mirror, rubbing blood from a slaughtered fighting bull along the surface. Once the blood dried, Lily washed off what remained. Josephina never knew this.

Josephina's intentions with the mirrors were to give her daughter more power, more magic but not evil magic. With the exception of the amethyst mirror, all were meant to help her daughter. The amethyst mirror was one Lily had begged her mother for and Josephina had finally conceded to make the silly thing. The king had bought beautiful gemstones mined from the mountains in King Henry's kingdom as well as pearls taken from clams along its shore for Josephina to use to decorate the mirrors; Precious gold and silver also came from Henry's kingdom.

_A book bound in scarlet leather, older than any other. It lies in your mother's house amongst unused volumes. Find the book to find the answers to your problems._

"I still don't see why those spells will help me."

_With the child's memory gone, you can claim her as a lost waif found in the woods. Set her to work in the castle. Her clothing will be more tattered, not meant to enhance beauty. Her hands will callus from the work. Her skin and hair will be dirty. Her eyes will lose their shine. Spirit broken, the girl with no memories will no longer be the beauty she is this day._

"And how will the spell that removes her name help?"

_The spell to forget can only be broken if the one under the spell hears his or her name. People will recognize the princess and call out her name. "Sophine!" they will say, "Sophine, our princess, do you not remember who you are?" As soon as she hears her name, the spell will be done and she will have her memory restored. With the spell to remove the name, none who try to speak it will be able to. Only the sorcerer who casts that spell will be able to say the word. When they try to say Sophine, another word will come out. Calling her that name will not make her remember her station. Your word will not be doubted; they will eventually believe this is indeed a different girl, not the princess they thought. People will assume the princess ran away._

"I see the plan clearly now and thank you, my beloved looking glass." The face chuckled low and deep before sinking back into the mirror and disappearing all together.

Lily snuck into her husband's room and whispered to him, "You need to visit King Henry for about a month. You must go alone. All will be well. You must leave in the morning. All will be well."

Rupert mumbled in his sleep, "Go see Henry. All will be well." A low chuckle rumbled in Lily's throat as she closed his door behind her and returned to bed.

After her husband left the next morning, Lily immediately went into her room of mirrors. She bypassed her beloved amethyst mirror that praised her looks and headed straight for the mirror that took her to her mother.

Silently, Lily went down the stairs. Her father was busy over a hot oven, getting morning breads baked. Josephina was talking to a customer just outside the shop and did not see her daughter open the basement door.

It was cold in the basement, causing Lily to pull her shawl closer. Her pace quickened as she walked to the room where her mother practiced her arts. Lily closed the door behind her and perused the bookshelf. She searched for the book the mirror had told her to get. As a teenager, she found the forbidden, darker side of magic tempting since her mother refused to use dark magic except in the most dire of circumstances. That same interest in the more evil magic had urged Lily to add evil to her ruby mirror. Finding the book she needed, Lily removed the scarlet volume from the shelf and sat at the table. Her lips pursed as she gently blew the dust off the cover of the heavy, thick book. This was an older spell book, one of the volumes her mother had collected but never used.

She impatiently leafed through the pages, the smells of the leather binding and musty old book drifting to her slim nose. The pages were worn from use and hard to read, but she finally found a spell she needed. Placing her left finger in the book as a makeshift marker, she moved on. Finally, the instructions for the potion she needed appeared near the back of the book. She reached behind her, removed a dried thistle from an open jar on a nearby shelf, and placed the stem in the book to mark the potion. Heaving the book open to the spot her finger marked, she relieved her aching finger from the pressure of the book.

Lily copied the incantation onto a piece of parchment for use later. She then turned back to the potion and began searching the room for the necessary ingredients along with ingredients for a powerful sleeping draught. Once everything was gathered, she built a fire and brewed the potion in a pot. Carefully, she ladled it into the drinking skin she had brought with her. Once the skin was full, she poured the deep blue liquid on the fire, dousing it, a purple smoke rising from the ashes.

Lily placed the book back on the shelf. Tucking the parchment into her sleeve, Lily carried the skin delicately against her body as she left the room. She quietly snuck past her parents upstairs, holding her breath the entire way. She let her breath out once she was back through the emerald mirror.

Sophine would come down to lunch soon. Lily headed to the dining area. She saw her lunch and the child's lunch set out on the table, ready to eat. Lily took the skin and leaned over the cup of fresh cow milk next to Sophine's plate. She could hear Sophine greeting one of the maids in the hallway, so she quickly let a few drops fall into the cup and stirred them. They lost their blue color as they mixed with the milk. Satisfied, Lily poured the rest of the contents into the vase of flowers set on the table and folded the skin, placing it on her chair.

"Goody day, Stepmother," Sophine said, smiling joyously as she hugged Lily. Lily absently patted the girl's silken ebony curls on her head, impatient for the girl to sit and drink.

"Do you think Papa will be gone for very long?" Sophine asked as she cut into her meat.

"A few weeks at least," Lily said. She pushed her food around with her knife, her eyes concentrating on the milk next to Sophine.

"I wish Papa would have taken me with him. He said he might take me to see the ocean this summer. Aaron's lucky that he gets to see the ocean as much as he wants to."

Lily made a sound of agreement, clenching her jaw in her impatience.

Sophine finally took a sip of the milk before going back to her lunch. She asked Lily if she was to have dancing lessons that afternoon after she came back from riding her horse.

"No, I have other plans for you." Sophine's lunch was nearly gone, and she had barely drunk any of the milk. "Drink your milk," Lily instructed.

Sophine wrinkled her nose, "I don't want to."

"Milk makes you grow strong; drink it."

Sophine sighed and drank the contents of her cup. She set it down once finished, a bit of the foamy milk still sticking to her upper lip.

Sophine's head swam in a fog. Everything around her moved in slow motion, and the colors moved around, seeming to dance in the air. She stared at the candles in the candelabra and found the flames to be flipping off the wicks and tumbling over each other.

"Wh-what's wrong with me? I feel so strange," the girl said. She stood and grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. Her legs gave way and she tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Lily scooped the girl up, grunting in effort to pick up the heavy, dead weight. She struggled to get her to the mirror room. Once inside, she removed Sophine's clothing, changing her into simple dress befitting a commoner and tied a pale blue kerchief around her head. The large kerchief covered most of her hair. Lily had stolen the dress from one of the servant's daughters. She spread a black velvet tarp down and rolled the girl on it. Sophine lay sprawled on her belly, out cold as Lily left, locking the door behind her.

She hurried to the stables and took Sophine's mare, Snowfall out of her stall. "Come on," she urged, holding out a shiny red apple she had grabbed from the lunch spread. The horse was already saddled for the princess. Fortunately, the stable hand was in the kitchen having his lunch, so no one would see her. She took hold of the reins and led the horse toward the castle. All of the servants seemed to be preoccupied elsewhere as Lily tied Snowfall's reins to a branch of one of the bushes under her mirror room's window.

Lily hastened her step as she ran back inside the castle and her private room. She lifted the child and heaved her onto the windowsill. She left the girl half hanging out of the window as she quickly went back outside. Lily pulled the girl's arms to get her to slip forward. She cursed the bushes as their branches scratched her perfect skin. The child was finally in her arms. Panting, Lily lifted the girl onto the horse's back.

"Smelly, stupid beast," Lily murmured under her breath as she mounted. In her mother's preparations to make Lily into a future queen, she had failed to remember to teach her to ride horseback. Sophine had been a patient teacher after Lily married Rupert, but Lily still felt incredibly uncomfortable riding a horse, especially sidesaddle. She held onto Sophine as they rode away.

Lily made sure to pay attention to the scenery as she rode through the woods that lined the road to the village. She road eastward into the forest. Once she felt she was deep enough in the woods, she dismounted and carefully laid Sophine at the base of a tree, her head propped up against the trunk.

Standing back to examine the picture of the poor unconscious girl, she decided Sophine's skin and clothes were too clean. Lily bent down and ripped her skirt as if it had been caught in the underbrush. She picked up some dirt and dusted it over the girl's face, arms, hands, legs, and bare feet. "Yuck," Lily whined as she felt the dirt in her fingers. Taking Sophine's hands, she held them tight and clawed them along the ground in an effort to get dirt under her nails. She took more handfuls of dirt and rubbed them in Sophine's hair, taking the shine out and removing some of the curl in the process. "Much better," Lily whispered.

Snowfall stood beside her, munching on a mouthful of grass. Lily turned to the horse and hit the horse's rump as hard as she could. "Go on now! Run!" The horse flicked her tail in disinterest.

"Where is a wolf when you need one?" Lily grumbled as she pushed the horse's rear in an effort to get the creature to run away. Already exhausted from the heavy lifting, she leaned against the horse, trying to think of another way to get it to run off. That was when Lily spied the curved vine on the ground. It was long, thin, and a greenish brown color. Lily picked it up and threw it at the horse's feet. Snowfall reared back, the whites of her eyes shining in fear as she saw what she thought was a snake; the horse took off in a full gallop. Lily watched her go until she could see the horse's white hide no longer. "You'd best hope no wolf comes wandering by, Snow White," Lily said. A small part of her actually wouldn't have minded a wolf to come and get rid of the child. Hatred was growing within the queen, hatred stemmed from jealously over Sophine's beautiful looks.

Once back at the castle, Lily went to her room and shut the door. She stood in front of her bed and pulled the parchment with the spell out of her trunk. Clearing her throat, she recited the incantation, "May this word stop in the throat, may this word from their lips not float. Keep this word from all ears; make sure that not a soul hears. None within three thousand miles besides I will be able to say the word I speak today. Magic please keep this name secret as soon as I speak it. The word I refer to is…Sophine." Yes…soon Sophine would be a servant and her beauty would be the victim of hard labor; the child would never surpass herself in beauty.

It was evening when a stable hand came to her. "Your majesty," the boy was out of breath as he spoke. Giving a less than elegant bow, he continued, "Your majesty, the princess's horse has come back with no rider. No one knows where the princess is."

Lily jumped up out of her seat. From a young age, Lily had always been able to manipulate those around her, so playacting came easy to her. "She's not home? The sun has almost set. Quick, boy! Go and get help. Tell the guards to search the entire kingdom if they have to." The boy ran out of the room.

At nearly midnight, the queen got the report from the head of the guards that the princess was nowhere to be found. "We will continue the search in the morning. One of the huntsmen found a little abandoned girl in the woods and has brought her here." The guard moved aside as the other man entered, carrying Sophine in his arms, all covered in dirt and tattered clothing.

"She's unconscious, my queen," the man's rough voice said. "I have tried to wake her but have failed."

"Poor little girl. Take her upstairs to my room and place her in my bed. This poor lost child must have a mother somewhere looking for her. Maybe our princess is in some kind woman's home right now, being watched over. We should show this child such kindness," the queen said. The men bowed and left with the child. Neither saw the queen's smirk.

Lily let no one in the room with the girl except herself. Reluctantly, she had cleaned the majority of the dirt off the child so it would appear she cared for the girl. For nearly a week, she kept stayed in the room while the search continued for the missing princess. One morning, five days after Lily had left her in the woods, the child finally stirred. "Who are you?" she asked Lily.

"You're finally awake!" Lily exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Sophine. "My men found you last week in the forest fast asleep at the base of a tree. I've been tending your bedside. I'm Queen Lily. Can you tell me who you are?"

Sophine frowned in confusion and felt frightened when she said, "I-I don't know."

"Poor little darling, you don't remember who you are, do you?"

Sophine shook her head. Something about the woman looked familiar to her, and her eyes seemed less than sincere as she spoke.

"Dear girl, I shall keep you until we find your parents. However, you must earn your keep. Perhaps I can find work for you in the kitchen. Now stay here. I'll return shortly." The woman who called herself Lily left the room.

Sophine looked around. The room was small and comfortable but did not look familiar. She looked out the window and saw a shepherd in a field with some sheep but the field did not jog her memory. She felt deep down that she should know this room, this place, the queen. Yet…nothing came to her mind. It was as if everything was behind a locked door within her head.

***

Lily hurried to the kitchen and instructed the cook that he would have a new kitchen maid, a girl that she had found in the forest who could not remember who she was.

Lily entered Sophine's room again and saw the dazed girl seated on the edge of the bed, her bare feet dangling above the floor. "Come with me, little girl. The kitchen staff will take care of you and allow you to work there." As she led the girl downstairs, she told her how pretty she was. "Your skin is so pale like snow. Perhaps we'll call you Snow White."

Alice, at fifty was the head of the kitchen help. She looked surprised when the queen brought the girl in the room.

"Is this not Soph-" her voice paused as she tried to say Sophine. She tried again, "Your majesty is this child not Princess Sophie?" Alice touched her throat, surprised that she couldn't get her words out correctly.

"She bears a striking resemblance to her, doesn't she?" Lily remarked. "I've decided to call her Snow White for her pale skin."

Lily turned on her heel and left the room.

Alice looked at Snow White, utter confusion written on her face. "Sophie? Aren't you Princess Sophie?"

Snow White looked bewildered, "I can't be a princess. A princess would not be wearing rags." The girl's forehead wrinkled as she held out the patched skirt to show Alice.

Still not completely convinced that this blueberry-eyed girl was not the princess, Alice put her to work. After all, working in the kitchen, she had only seen the princess once or twice. If this were the princess, surely the queen would have known.

A/N: *dramatic music* Who knew the mirror that "helps with one's goals" as I put it in chapter 4 was actually evil? *raises hand* Me! Me! I knew it! I had planned it that way all along. The rubies are the color of blood and something else that happens in Snow White's classic fairy tale...hmm...can you guess what I'm foreshadowing here? ;) I had fun in thinking up a look for this one too btw. The dragons were fun to think up. Hope you like it!


	6. Beauty Shines Through

It was much easier to write this chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews, please keep writing them. If you see an error, please be specific and point it out. Thanks!

**Beauty Shines Through**

The disappearance of the princess cast tension throughout the kingdom. When Rupert came home and found his beloved daughter missing and wife in tears over the loss, he was inconsolable. When he discovered that he could not say her name nor could any other in the kingdom, he believed magic was the root. Since magic was not in his kingdom, Rupert believed that the magic was coming from Hanbrook, the kingdom that lay on their southeastern border.

When the ban on magic happened, most of the sorcerers fled to Hanbrook. Hanbrook was known even before then as a kingdom of magic. Since it was a small kingdom, not even a third of the size of Rupert's own, most of the populace had magic in their blood.

Hanbrook could have a sorcerer that still bore ill will toward Rupert's family and could have easily taken his little girl and made it so that no one could speak her name. His wise advisor informed him that the reason behind the spell to not speak her name was most likely that if one said her name, she would free of her captor and at home, where she belonged.

Rupert's kingdom, Everton had warred with Hanbrook over seventy-five years ago. At the time, the youngest son of Hanbrook's king had mysteriously disappeared. The king was enraged and assumed that Everton's king took the child in an effort to force him off the throne and surrender his lands to Everton. The war had not lasted very long, but it had left some hostility between the two kingdoms.

History repeated itself as history often does. Rupert's grief turned to anger and he went into battle with his brave knights against Hanbrook's army. The war lasted seven long years and cost many their lives. At the end, the two monarchs decided the fight was not worth it. Hanbrook's king allowed Rupert's army to search every home, and they still did not find Sophine. King Rupert gave several hundred acres of farmland to Hanbrook before leaving.

Lily loved the war. She had plenty of time alone with her lover, Floren, Rupert never saw the new kitchen maid, and she was as beautiful as ever. All of that changed right before the war ended. She discovered she was with child.

Snow White was sixteen when she attended the birth of the queen's son, carrying a bucket of water to the bedchamber to boil in the fireplace. Snow White had never seen the king, so she could not say the child looked like him. The baby did not look like Queen Lily though. He was blonde-haired with crystal blue eyes. Rumors quickly circled through the kitchen that the baby was not King Rupert's and that the queen had a secret affair with her guard. Alice said she believed the queen had been having an affair with the huntsman for many years. "It was her idea to make him her guard. He has slept in a room connected to hers for years, almost since she married our king."

Rupert never doubted his wife. He loved his little boy, Wilhelm. Lily knew the child was Floren's. When she had first discovered she was pregnant, she had made sure to lay with her husband as soon as he came home to rest. During the war, he would come home once every two to three months and spend a few days at the castle, tending to matters he had left unattended.

At first, people used to question Snow White, asking her if she was the princess, but after a while, it was forgotten. Being a kitchen servant suited her though. She enjoyed helping prepare the meals, going outside in the sunshine to plant and harvest, and feeling like part of a family for the kitchen staff lived in a few rooms along a hallway next to the kitchen. There were only two things in life that bothered her; one was mirrors. Every time she passed a mirror, she felt a nagging voice inside saying, "Keep your name." It gave her a sickening feeling in her stomach, a feeling that she should remember something. The other thing that bothered her was sometimes something would look familiar…something would almost spark a memory. A plate, a carpet, a tree, the littlest thing would almost remind her of something. Just when the memory seemed within her reach, just as her hand was about to grasp it, the almost-memory would disappear, leaving her feeling frustrated.

Despite being a servant and working long, hard hours, Snow White grew more beautiful by the day. Her cheeks grew rosy from working in the gardens, her hair was still long and curly with a pure black color, and her lips were still a cheerful red. Most remarkably of all, her eyes sparkled more than ever before for she enjoyed her life. Men would sigh longingly when they looked at her, women and children would pause and look at her when she passed by as if looking at a beautiful bird in flight, even the animals would stop and gaze at her beauty.

The older she grew, the more she cultivated a natural talent for gardening. Digging her hands in the cool, dark earth made her feel happier than anything else did, causing her to thrive. Alice even put Snow White in charge of the vegetable garden. No matter the season, there was always something to do in the garden. Snow White prepared the soil, planted the seeds, watered the plants, weeded the garden, fertilized the soil with leftover food from the kitchen, harvested the plants, and other such tasks. On warm summer nights, Snow White would lie down in the garden, looking up at the stars until she fell asleep. Despite wearing dirty, worn dresses and being barefoot with dirt usually up past her ankles, her beauty still shone through.

***

Little four-year-old Wilhelm pulled on his mother's skirt insistently. "Mama!" he called to her. He looked up at her with a frown on his little face as he pointed to the door. "Outside, Mama. I want to go outside."

"It's too cold out," Lily grumbled. It was early spring and there was still a slight chill in the air.

"Outside!" the blonde child demanded, his blue eyes welling with tears. He proceeded to stomp his feet in anger. "Outside! Outside! OUTSIDE!" he yelled, his face turning as red as a beet. Lily cringed from the sound and left Wilhelm as he lay on his stomach on the floor, kicking his feet and beating his hands on the carpet to go find his nurse.

After relieving herself of taking care of the temperamental boy, she walked along the corridors, bored. She considered visiting her mother but her mother was still angry with her for doing something to Sophine. Josephina had guessed her daughter was behind it when she found that no one could speak Sophine's name. There was no chance that Rupert would allow sorcery in his kingdom after his daughter's disappearance. Her anger subsided when Lily announced she was having a baby, an heir to the throne. Rejoicing that her daughter's child might soften the king's heart, she had renewed hope. Then she saw the baby and saw Floren's features. Josephina and Lily had not spoken since.

Lily could go to her looking glasses for she was curious what her mirror of truth would say about her beauty. Once she started gaining weight in pregnancy, Lily had stopped her daily ritual of asking her mirror who was the fairest because she feared it would say another. The birth and pregnancy had taken a toll on her body, and Lily felt that she had just now gotten her figure back the way she wanted it. Surely now she was the most beautiful in the land. Giving a decisive nod, she turned to go to her looking glasses. That was when she saw her husband and Thomas coming down the hall.

"There you are, my dear," Rupert said, pausing to drop a kiss on her cheek. "We have a visitor, just arrived from Thadwick. It is my old friend, Henry's son, Prince Aaron. Go and fetch Wilhelm. The cook is preparing a feast as we speak. Meet us in the dining hall in about an hour." Henry continued down the hall, a bit of spirit in his step. It wasn't often the king smiled these days.

Never having met King Henry or any of his family, Lily looked forward to seeing how someone from another kingdom would react to her beauty. She went by Wilhelm's room to instruct his nurse to ready him for a royal feast. The woman was near tears trying to make Wilhelm release the breath he held. Lily didn't seem to notice or care as she told her that he needed to be washed, dressed, and ready within the hour. Then, she headed to her room and closed her bedroom door behind her.

"Guess who?" Floren said with his hands covering Lily's eyes.

"This game gets old, Floren," Lily said, her voice aggravated by his presence.

Floren frowned and removed his hands. "You've been cold to me since you bore my son."

Lily gave him a shocked look.

"You're not fooling me, my queen; you can quick the dramatics. The boy looks just like me. Has Rupert figured out his prince is really the bastard son of his huntsman, a product of a long-lived affair his evil queen has had for many years? Hmm?"

Lily's hand slapped him in the face. "If you breathe one word, you'll be killed."

"So will you," he challenged. "The servants know that he's my son. Any of them could run to Rupert and tell him. All I want is to be a father to my son. Run away with me, Lily." Floren grasped her hands in his, "We can take refuge in a different kingdom and live as husband and wife, raising little Wilhelm. I'll make you happy, Lily. I swear it."

"I'm perfectly fine with the current arrangement. Leave me. I'm preparing for a feast and must look my best."

"Yes. Heaven forbid you don't look beautiful. That is your true love. It isn't me, and it isn't Rupert; it isn't anything except your looks. You only wish to remain married to the king because you're worshipped as the queen. People bow down at your feet, you wear the finest clothes, the best jewelry, have a comfortable home. You get all of the glory of being the queen and still have me as your secret pet on the side. I say no more. No more!" Floren stormed from the room. "I shall be moving back into the hunting lodge with the other huntsmen. You will control me no longer!" He slammed the door, making it shake on its hinges.

"If you hadn't ruined me with that brat, I would be much more beautiful," Lily murmured under her breath as she combed her hair in front of the mirror. Her beauty had grown colder since she became jealous of Sophine. The softness of her features seemed harder, her green eyes were more of an ice green, and she rarely smiled, instead preferring a stoic expression. Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, she didn't see this. Yes, she saw the beginnings of wrinkles and lamented their impending arrival. She didn't see the frost, the lack of total warmth that was robbing her of her beauty faster than any age spot or wrinkle ever could.

***

Prince Aaron entered the dining hall and greeted King Rupert. He was still in his riding clothes, having just scrapped his boots before coming in. "Prince Aaron!" Rupert exclaimed. "You've grown so much since I last saw you.

Fourteen years had passed since nine-year-old Aaron had last entered the dining hall. He was now tall, lean, and handsome. Aaron set his jaw firm as Rupert introduced him to his wife Lily and son Wilhelm; his business here was not for pleasantries for he had to return to his kingdom the next day.

"Take a seat," Rupert said, indicating the chair next to Lily. Lily smiled at him with an almost predator glint in her green eyes.

Aaron sat and looked around, confused at the group at the table. Servants served the dinner before standing quietly along the walls, waiting to see if they were needed. Aaron took a sip of his wine before looking up at the pouting little boy seated at Rupert's right hand, across from Queen Lily. Looking from the boy to the mother to the father, Aaron could see not one trace of Rupert in Wilhelm. He wondered where Sophine was.

"Rupert," he started, looking past Lily to the king. "I am wondering where Princess Sophi-" the name caught in his chest as he tried to force the last of her name out. It came out as an e, leaving a strange painful sensation in his breast. "I've come to collect the princess. It is time that we should wed." Aaron sat, dazed that the name wouldn't, couldn't leave his tongue.

He saw Lily drop her knife, seemingly stunned before picking the utensil up again. Rupert's face changed to a look of sadness as he hung his head and sighed. "She's gone."

"Gone?" Aaron sounded alarmed.

"We've tried to find her. I thought a sorcerer in Hanbrook took her. I'm sure you've noticed we cannot say her name; it comes out as Sophie every time; it must be a spell, an evil spell. The war lasted many years; we lost many good men on both sides. In the end…in the end, she wasn't there. I fear that she's gone forever."

"Did you not look in the other kingdoms? Perhaps one of them-"

"I have lost my daughter, and it is one of the most painful things I've ever endured after losing my beloved wife Vivianna," Rupert said, slamming his hands down on the table. "Wilhelm will be king one day. I am sorry that you have lost your betrothed, I truly am. I wish to offer retributions to your kingdom for this be it money or land, whatever you wish. You may also stay as long as you need."

Aaron could tell that Rupert was not going to speak any further on the subject, so he didn't press him. He wondered why King Rupert had not come to his father for help in trying to retrieve Sophine. As he thought about this and pushed the food around his plate, he started as he felt a hand on his right knee. Aaron looked next to him at Lily who sat eating with her right hand. He scowled and moved his knee out of her reach. Moments later, the hand was back on his knee and moving up his thigh. Looking over, he saw Lily looking at her plate as she ate as if nothing was going on. Aaron cleared his throat as he reached under the table and lifted her offending hand, dropping it over her own lap. Lily turned her head to him to frown, but he was looking at the little prince. Wilhelm was using his knife to stab the meat on his plate over and over again, his face full of bitterness as he continued in his sulk. It was no wonder Prince Wilhelm looked so unlike his so-called father, having an adulterous woman as his mother whose hand was once again on his knee.

Finishing his dinner as quickly as possible to avoid the advances of the amorous queen, Aaron decided to take a walk along the grounds so he could clear his head. The sun was starting to make its nightly descent in the sky, the blue color slowly fading while gold stretched across the landscapes. A chilly breeze followed him and the gravel crunched under his boots as he moved around a corner. Studying the servant children playing nearby, he didn't see the woman until they collided.

"Oof!" he exclaimed as he stumbled backward. Feeling suddenly cold, he looked down and saw the front of his tunic was damp. Aaron frowned when he saw the water bucket laying on its side on the ground having victoriously dumped half of its contents on him. He looked at the woman sitting next to the bucket, rubbing her head.

"My apologies," he said, offering the servant a hand to help her up. "My eyes were occupied elsewhere and I was not looking where I was going."

"It's fine," the woman said, dusting off her brown skirt with her hands. Glancing up from the task, she saw his clothing was wet and gasped. "You're all wet. I'm so sorry," she said, her hand reaching out to his tunic before drawing it back to her body, realizing she was reaching out to a perfect stranger.

"Don't worry about it," he said, reaching down to pick up the bucket. "Here."  
The woman reached for the bucket, her eyes meeting his. Aaron blinked in surprise. Her eyes…her eyes looked so familiar.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Snow White."

The name sounded familiar…had he heard it before? He couldn't put a face to the name... Her eyes though…they were a bluish purple, a strange, almost unnatural color. His memory flashed back to a similar set of eyes…but whose? Where had he seen these eyes and heard that name before?

"Shall I escort you to draw more water?" he asked.

"Thank you," she paused, looking at him to supply the name.

"Aaron. Prince Aaron of Thadwick at your service, Lady Snow White."

She laughed exuberantly then, "I'm no lady, sir. I'm just a simple kitchen maid." She turned and he saw her long, curly ebony hair tied back with a pale pink kerchief as she started to walk back from where she came.

Aaron suddenly found that he could not move. The laugh…he knew that laugh, so full of gusto and very unladylike. Yes, the voice had aged, but he knew that laugh. It couldn't be…but it had to be."

"Sophie?" he asked. It frustrated him that he couldn't say her name. "Princess? Why are you dressed in rags?"

"I'm not a princess," Snow White said. She continued to walk as Aaron followed.

"Yes you are. I remember you. I remember when you were this high," he put his hand down along his leg to indicate her height at the age of six.

Snow White looked up at him as he now walked along her side. "I'm not the princess."

"You had your hair cut to here," he said, touching the side of her neck. "Your dress was simple, but not as simple as what you wear now. You were covered in dirt too." He chuckled. "I remember having an argument with you over horses; you laughed then as you did just now. I also remember someone making fun of your," he paused, his voice filled with nostalgia and awe as he stopped her, looking into her eyes, "incredibly beautiful eyes." Aaron continued to look into her lovely face as he spoke, "My cousin and I had to pull you off the boy. I remember how sad you were about their teasing." Aaron pulled out a handkerchief and dipped it in the little bit of water that still inhabited the bucket. He gently washed some dirt from her face. "I cleaned your face just like this once." He smiled at her as she blushed, casting her eyes downward.

"I-I need to get back to my duties," she said, walking around him.

"Wait!" he called.

"You must have me confused with someone else," she said before hurrying along the path.

Aaron almost pursued the beautiful Snow White but decided against it. Rupert had called her Snow White once, Aaron remembered now. Why was Rupert using his daughter as a servant in his home? Was it a desperate ploy to avoid uniting the kingdoms? Was it a way to make Wilhelm king? Why hadn't Sophine's face showed she recognized him? Even if he looked different to her, surely her eyes would have betrayed her face when he started telling her all that he could recall. And what of the name? How come he couldn't say the name Sophine? Had Rupert spiked his wine with some potion to prevent her name from escaping his lips? And for what reason? Aaron quickened his step as he saw the stables in view. He would not spend the night for he had to get home and quickly to seek his father's advice; his father would know what to do.

***

Lily slammed the door behind her as she faced her looking glasses. They stood as silent witnesses to her wrath as she paced before them. The handsome Prince Aaron had denied her advances. She, the most beautiful in the land, nay the world, and he could not see it. She seethed to know that he was betrothed to Sophine. How could her husband not tell her this?

Touching the side of her amethyst looking glass, she stood patiently as it bestowed her with praises about her beauty. Usually this filled her with happiness but not that day. Her thoughts were completely consumed by the prince's rejection.

She wondered how Aaron viewed her. Had he not thought her fair and beautiful? She went to her sapphire mirror and touched the flat surface. Her image faded, replaced by a hideous black serpent ready to strike, venom dripping from its fangs as malice shown in the creature's green eyes. That alarmed Lily. It had been years since she had gazed in this mirror, and it took her by surprise that it was telling her that her spirit was viscous and evil. Her earlier spirit reflection had been that of a male peacock with beautiful feathers spread out in pride; the symbolism of which she never understood since she had always been in awe that she was represented by such a beautiful, colorful bird. It relieved her when the mirror's image started to change from the snake to…another image that dumbfounded her. This time, it was a forest in winter, the trees covered in snow and ice as a blizzard blew snow harshly over the entire scene. Two small white rabbits huddled together, shivering in the winter storm. In her earlier years, it had been a flower blossom, fully bloomed and at the peak of its beauty.

Lily cursed and turned from the looking glass; she wanted to throw a rock against its surface to shatter that spiteful thing. Her mother must have changed it somehow to show the evil snake and the cold, dead winter. There was no other explanation to her.

Yet, it was true. Lily's heart had grown evil since robbing Sophine of her identity. A snake stalking her prey, she struck at all around her in subtle little ways, from forcing maids to redo chores they had just slaved all day over to passing her son to his nurse after igniting his never-ending temper. Lily was truly the snake she saw, whether she admitted it or not. As to the frosty scene, as Floren had told her, she was so cold now. Part of that coldness came from her jealousy over her stepdaughter's beauty. Another part, a part Lily didn't realize or wouldn't admit to, came from her sadness over losing Sophine. A part of Lily missed the happy, bright child who filled the castle with joy and laughter. Lily hadn't liked the spirited girl when they first met, but over time, her heart had softened to the girl until she cared for her as her own. Once the girl showed that her beauty might surpass Lily's own, Lily hid the part of her soul that loved Sophine, and that part grew smaller day by day as the evilness in her heart took over her soul.

Facing her mirror of truth, Lily calmed herself, pushing all thoughts of what she had just seen of her true reflection out of her mind. She removed her clothing, laying it on the floor beside her and stood before her looking glass. Lily frowned when she saw what were the faint white lines on her stomach, lines left from when her skin had stretched during her pregnancy. Looking straight ahead at the reflection of her eyes, she stood tall and proud with arms outstretched. Speaking in a commanding voice, she said, "Looking glass upon the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

A/N: Fun fact: Sophine was originally the name I used for Josephina's character. I liked the name so much, I decided to use it as Snow White's original name. I lucked out when I came up with the name loss bit that Sophine would come out as Sophie if you try to take the "een" sound out.


	7. Take Her into the Woods

I updated the last chapter, fixing three errors that I caught. I tried to read this one through more thoroughly. Still, let me know if you see something wrong. I'm so excited about introducing the dwarfs in the next chapter! Thank you to all of the reviews, I appreciate them. Read at the bottom for an author's note about the last two mirrors and why they have those gems. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

**Take Her into the Woods**

The mirror of truth's diamonds glittered as it answered, _My queen, you are fair, that much is true, but Snow White is much more beautiful than you._

Lily's jaw dropped in shock. How could Snow White, that dirty servant be more beautiful than she? Picking up her discarded clothes, she robed herself and went to her mirror that would reveal the thing that threatened her the most.

The mirror was white gold with a brilliant sheen. Large onyx stones were set in the rectangular frame hanging on the wall. Each onyx had an etching on its surface. If the light hit the onyx just right, the viewer could see the hidden image; threats such as fire, swords, wolves, and other common things were in the onyxes. The largest in the center though was a crown. Josephina had put it in the center as her own private joke. The crown represented the crowned king who took away magic from the land, but she knew that Rupert would see it as possibly meaning a king from a warring nation. Unfortunately, it would never go to Rupert because her daughter was not going to bring magic back.

Lily said the spell, "Tell me of the land, tell me of the sea, tell me of the biggest threat that dares to loom over me." Josephina had enchanted it with an easy spell, one that didn't require tongues so that Rupert wouldn't have trouble using it.

The surface flashed once, letting Lily know that it heard her. "Snow White's beauty has surpassed my own. Tell me now; is there one who will ruin the plan forming within my head?"

The mirror was silent, reluctant to show the answer to her question. Josephina had taken special care with this mirror. It would answer truthfully, yes; similar to the truth mirror, it could not lie. Unlike the mirror of truth, it could see the future, and the mirror could see all of Lily's evil plans. The mirror had taken an instant liking to the little girl who used to play in the room of looking glasses. As soon as it had seen Sophine, it knew everything that was going to happen to her and tried to warn her through the mirror of truth.

"Well? Show me!" Lily demanded. She placed her hands on the sides of the frame and shook the looking glass.

The mirror did not care for Queen Lily and sent her a shock through the frame. It chuckled when she jumped back, a chuckle she could not hear. Finally, it relented and revealed its image.

"Floren?" Lily looked at her looking glass showing a still image of Floren's handsome face. "Floren wouldn't betray me. He-" She stopped as she suddenly remembered her earlier conversation with him. Her heart beat fast as she turned around, walked to her pearl mirror, and demanded to see Floren.

Floren was in the hunting lodge with the other huntsmen, laughing and drinking around their table. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared he had revealed that he was Wilhelm's father to King Rupert. If he had told Rupert, he would be in the dungeon right now and not in the lodge.

She had to manipulate him. If he told Rupert, she would be locked in the dungeon as well and Snow White would continue to be the most beautiful. Lost in the jealousy that had completely taken over her soul, Lily failed to realize that the mirror of dire was not referring to Floren telling about their affair. She hadn't thought of any other possibility, and that would be a grave mistake.

With fire burning in the depths of her green eyes, Lily practically ran to her mirror to control. This stately mirror had opals of all different colors set in swirls in the golden frame. The hanging oval frame was very thick with the actual mirror looking rather tiny and sunk deeply within.

Lily said the incantation spell, causing the surface of the mirror to swirl in a hypnotizing manner, slow and spellbinding. Lily had to look away as the mirror asked, _Whom do you wish to control?_

"Oh my beautiful looking glass, I wish to control Floren the huntsman. Teach me how to make him bend to my will. What will make Floren follow my command?"

_They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I say that for Floren the huntsman, beauty is the controller. Beauty sways him, persuades him, molds him. Use your beauty and give him a beautiful item to take with him, and he will follow your instructions._

"I thank you," Lily said. The swirling stopped, and Lily laughed evilly as she could see her plans in her mind. She would make Floren take the princess into the woods and have him kill her. Sophine would be dead, and Floren would never reveal their affair after killing an innocent woman.

The next evening, Floren came to his old room to take the last of his belongings. Lily was laying across his bed in her most beautiful nightgown.

"What do you want?" he grumbled before pausing and bowing mockingly, "Your majesty."

"I would hate to think we parted on such bad terms," Lily said, walking slowly toward him. She noticed that Floren surveyed her with a cautious eye. Smirking, she knew that she was as beautiful as he had ever seen her with her red gold hair shining and falling loosely to her waist as she wore the white gown with the gold stitching, she had even made up her face for him. Floren's eyes soon met hers and he looked less upset and more willing. Perfect.

"I've got something for you," she said.

"You have?"  
Lily held out her shut hand and slowly opened it revealing a broach. Rupert had given it to her on their wedding day. It was pure gold with white enamel in the shape of a white lily. One slender leaf was a beautiful emerald, and there were three small diamonds inlaid along the side of the lily. Floren reached out to touch the beautiful trinket.

"Take it," she said. "I want you to have it, Floren. I still love you, I truly do. I'm so sorry I've been so cold lately." Lily's eyes welled up with tears and she turned her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and as if on cue, she sobbed, making her body shudder. "Come and sit," Floren said, guiding her to a chair. He knelt by her side and pushed the hair out of her face. "Tell me."

"There's this-this servant woman," she whimpered.

"Servant woman?"

Lily dabbed her eyes with the corner of her sleeve, prompting Floren to give her his handkerchief. "Thank you," she said and finished clearing her eyes. "She's a kitchen maid."

"And?"  
"She's…she's…" Lily's mind worked quickly, coming to come up with a viable excuse but found none. "She's more beautiful than I am."

"Why is that worrying you?"

"I cannot be happy if I know there is a beautiful woman working in the castle. She could lure you away from me with her beauty."

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Floren reassured her.

"I just want her gone."

"Can't you find her work elsewhere?"

Lily paused before asking, "Floren, do you love me?"

"Yes."  
"You would do anything for me?"

"Of course."

"Would you…kill her for me?"

Floren blinked in surprise. "Surely you jest with me, my queen."

"If she was dead, I wouldn't worry so much. I wouldn't be so cold-hearted. I…I would even let you spend time with your son."

"I can't kill some innocent woman."

"Floren, please?" Lily begged.

"No!" Floren looked horrified as he stood.

"You don't love me at all," she accused.

"I do love you but not enough to kill some woman over your foolish vanity."

"I didn't want to do this, but as your queen, I command you to take that woman into the woods and kill her." Lily stood and walked over to the bed. She retrieved a bejeweled box she had placed on the bed and held it out to him. "Bring me her heart in this as proof that you have killed her."

"I cannot do it."

She looked into Floren's face and Floren felt a cold terror run through his body. Any preconceived notion he had about how the devil looked left him, for Lily terrified him more with that one look than any red-skinned man with horns and a tail.

"You will. If you don't, I will tell the king that Wilhelm is your son, that you forced yourself on me and took advantage of me. He will have you drawn and quartered. Kill Snow White. I will have her ready for you in the morning." Lily thrust the box into his shaking hands, pressing it against his chest. She stormed out of the room, leaving him there. Floren sank to his knees and felt silent tears go down his face. How could he do this?

***

The next morning, Snow White stood at the entrance to the kitchen when she saw Floren. "Are you the huntsman whom I am to go with this morning?" she asked.

The man nodded and walked with her outside toward the Western woods that lay a few miles from the castle. The dew on the grass filled the air with sweet scents as birds happily chirped over their heads, flying across the light blue morning sky. Some livestock grazed quietly in the fields to their right. A few raised their heads in acknowledgement of the beautiful princess as she passed them. Gazing at her beauty, they had no idea of the evil plan in motion that fateful morning.

"I wonder what the queen wants the wildflowers for. It's so early in the spring; I fear there will not be many. She said you know where they are growing, do you?" Snow White asked as they walked along the trail to the forest.

Floren nodded silently. His mind was as far away as it could be. The woman looked so young and innocent. Why should he end her life?

Snow White stopped talking after a while as she followed him into the woods. He gestured to an open spot with a few daffodils growing. Smiling, she went to start gathering them in the basket she carried on her arm. Floren watched her for a while. It was true that she was really quite beautiful. He looked away at the trees further in the forest and saw something he recognized. Floren walked past Snow White to touch the tree. When he first became one of the king's huntsmen, he had stopped at that very tree after his first official hunt and carved a heart into the trunk with his knife. He had put an F and an L inside the heart for Floren and Lily. His heart had been full of joy on that day, thinking of the future the two would share. It was such a contrast to the deep sadness he felt now. As much as he didn't want to kill the kitchen maid, he knew he had to for his son. He wanted to watch his son grow up, even from a distance. No, he could not die, even if it meant taking the woman's life.

Snow White was so deeply engrossed in her task that she did not hear Floren approach her from behind. She saw a flash of light on the tree in front of her. Birds chirped frantically in the branches, desperately trying to warn her. Turning, she screamed in horror upon seeing Floren with his cutlass drawn, pointing right at her.

She huddled against the tree, whimpering, "No, please no. Please don't kill me. I'll do anything you want." Floren swallowed a lump and moved closer, the knife hovering a few feet above her. Her beautiful face was now blanched of its color as she pleaded for her life. His hand shook until he lowered his cutlass to his side.

Floren dropped to his knees. "I can't," he whispered. "I cannot do it."

Snow White's breath hitched in her throat as she watched him. The birds quieted to listen to the huntsman.

He couldn't take the beautiful girl's life, no matter what the consequences would be. She was far too innocent to lose her life, and he would not be the one to assist Lily's vanity. Too many things had fallen victim to it already, his love for her was the latest to breathe its last.

"You must run away. Run far away, deep into these woods. You can never return, she'll kill you."

"Wh-who?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"The queen. The queen wants you dead; she ordered me to kill you. Now run! And hurry!" He grabbed her arm, jerking her to her feet. Snow White thanked him with her eyes before grasping a handful of skirt and running westward, farther into the woods.

Floren watched her fleeing figure until the trees engulfed her. It took a few minutes before he could bring himself to move. He needed a heart so Snow White would be safe. Floren looked on the ground for boar tracks. Silently, he followed a set of tracks until he saw the creature munching on some vegetation. Floren fitted an arrow into his bow and fired, piercing the animal's thigh. With a squeal, the startled boar tried to run away, but Floren was faster. He grabbed the hog around its middle and stabbed it with his cutlass until its blood poured onto the ground and the fight was out of it. Floren gutted the animal and removed the heart. He placed the lifeless organ into the box before turning to leave. The hunter in him hated leaving all of that fresh boar meat for the wild animals to consume instead of bringing it back, but he feared the Lily would find out that the huntsman had come back with a boar.

Lily's face lit up with excitement as he handed the box to her. She kissed his cheek, and he felt nothing but coldness for her. He could live happily never seeing his former love again. Stoically, Floren left her with her treasure.

***

She had it! She had Sophine's heart in her hands. Opening the lid, she shrieked with delight upon seeing the cold, dead organ. Sophine was dead along with her beauty. "Now, who is fairest in the land?" Lily laughed.

Having procured a knife earlier that day, Lily sliced the heart into crude little chunks. The box closed with a satisfying sound of the metal edges meeting.

Lily snuck down to the kitchen while supper was being prepared. That morning, she had instructed the cook to fix meat stew for dinner. The cook was occupied with chopping some vegetables for the stew, so he did not see Lily go to the black cooking pot over the fire and open the lid. She hurriedly raked every chunk of heart into the boiling broth and turned to leave. Alice blocked her.

"Your majesty," Alice said and curtseyed for the queen. "It is nearly nightfall, and Snow White is nowhere to be seen. I'm worried about her."

"Oh? She's not back yet?" Lily feigned concern. "I imagine the huntsman found some game and went for a hunt. Perhaps she wandered off; I'm sure she'll return tomorrow."

Alice watched the queen leave and felt a feeling of foreboding. She hoped evil had not befallen on Snow White, but she feared it already had. The queen had insisted that Snow White pick flowers that morning, which had struck Alice as odd. The queen never asked kitchen help to gather flowers, and the flowers used in the castle were never gathered in the forest; most grew in the garden. She prayed for God to protect the girl who had become like a daughter to her as she went back to her work.

The king and queen sat down that night to the stew. Lily greedily ate and watched as Rupert ate his own daughter's heart. Her heart danced knowing that she was consuming the beautiful princess's heart. She relished the feeling of power and relief that washed over her. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to consult her looking glass for a couple of weeks, for she was taking Wilhelm to another kingdom to meet that king's daughter. Rupert hoped that they would be a match someday. The girl was the youngest in her family and wouldn't be an heir to the throne, but they both hoped Wilhelm would marry the princess in the future.

***

Snow White was out of breath as she sunk down next to a fallen tree. She clasped a hand to her breast, feeling her rapidly beating heart and urging it to slow. Listening for any sign of danger proved impossible because all she could hear was her pulse in her ears: thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. The huntsman wouldn't have followed her, but Snow White didn't know if Queen Lily would send another after her or if a wolf or some other creature would come for her.

She looked to the west and saw the mountains close by. This must be Thadwick, the kingdom that bordered them on the west. Those mountains were full of beautiful gems, making Thadwick one of the richest kingdoms around. This was a strange land to her, a land she had never entered before, at least not to her knowledge. Snow White stood and felt the burning protest from her calves. Most of her run had been uphill and she was unused to running long distances. At least she had on the shoes Alice had insisted she wear for they made running more bearable.

Tired, weary, and frightened from the day's events, she struggled up another hill. Now that her heartbeat had slowed, every rustle of leaves came from a predator stalking her, every bird whistle was a whistle for hunting hounds to pursue her, or at least it seemed that way. Her eyes tricked her too, making the shadows of the trees look like hands waiting to grab her. Nervous and edgy, Snow White had to continue. It was late afternoon and the sun would disappear in a few hours; she needed shelter before the sounds she thought were wild animals actually became wild animals seeking prey in the night.

As she reached the top of the hill, she saw a worn path on the ground. In the distance, she heard the sound of a spring. Snow White hurried along the path and cried out in joy upon seeing the fresh water. She knelt down beside the spring and dipped her hands in and drinking the cool, clear water. Her parched throat begged for more and she couldn't drink fast enough. A yearling stood hidden in the shadows, watching the lovely young woman drink from his favorite watering spot. Once she finally felt better, she stood and debated on whether to follow the path. As she thought, the yearling stepped forward. Snow White gasped when she saw the graceful animal. With large brown eyes, the deer walked past her and toward the path from where she came. As if in a trance, Snow White followed the young buck, not knowing where the animal was leading her.

Perhaps half a mile from the creek, the path stopped in front of a house hidden in the woods. Snow White was surprised to see the stone cottage nestled amongst the trees. Who would live in the forest? The deer looked once more on the princess before darting back into the safety of the forest. "Thank you," Snow White whispered as she watched the white tail disappear from her sight.

She looked down at her dress, her best dress. It wasn't much more than a simple peasant dress, and there was dampness on the skirt from where she had knelt beside the spring. She was sure her hair was a frightening sight, but she was so tired and needed shelter for the night. She hoped that the owner would forgive her appearance.

Gathering up her courage, she walked up to the house and quietly knocked on the green door. No one answered. She knocked a little louder and still no answer. Snow White banged on the door, thinking maybe it was an old lady who was hard of hearing but nothing happened. She went to the nearest window and tried to look inside. The window was greasy and dirty, so it was hard to see, but the house seemed empty.

Seeing no one inside, Snow White tried the door and discovered it was unlocked. Cautiously, she opened it. The waning sunlight made it possible to see a bit inside the cottage. Snow White spied a candle and a flint nearby. She lit the candle and entered. "Hello?" she called, "Is anyone home?" No one answered.

Snow White looked around and saw the house was unkempt. The floor was dirty, the furniture dusty, the filthy dishes lay haphazardly beside the sink, cobwebs decorated the edges of the rooms, clothing lay in a pile in the corner, and plates of half-eaten food were at the long table. Seeing the food, her stomach grumbled. Snow White sat down on one of the chairs and ate from one of the dirty plates some of the cold, gray, flavorless mush left on it. Once she finished that plate, she went to a second and ate from it. The stuff wasn't very appetizing but she had worked up an appetite from her flight. Looking around the room as she ate, she saw a small ladder leading to a loft and raised her candle to see where it led. She gasped happily to see a row of beds up in the loft. As tempting as climbing up to bed was, she wanted to pay her debt to the owner, and the least she could do was wash the dishes before she fell asleep.

Lighting a few candles around the room, she soon set to work, pumping water into the sink and scrubbing the dishes until they shined. Snow White placed each one into the cupboard. The kitchen looked less cluttered but still required a lot of work to be truly clean, work that would have to wait until morning. She glanced up at the loft again and felt fatigue urge her toward the ladder. She climbed up the ladder and fell onto one of the beds, falling fast asleep, not knowing that the owners of the house would soon come walking through the door.

A/N: Before I get into the gems, I have read two different accounts of Snow White and what the queen asked the huntsman to bring. One account is the heart and another is the liver/intestines. I chose to stick with the heart since that's what my lovely green hardcover book of several hundred Grimm's fairy tales uses plus it would have to be a larger box to fit the intestines in. Yeah... I also chose to do this part with Snow White as an adult even though most versions has her as a child (specifically age 7). There are several reasons for my decision (one of them being the fairy tale never says that time passes, so it almost reads that the prince sees her dead as a seven-year-old girl). Anyway, onto the mirrors. The dire mirror has onyxes because they're black, dark, and foreboding. I mention etchings on the surface and a white gold mirror. This is a nod to my college class ring, which is an onyx with an etching of the school's symbol set in white gold (most people choose yellow gold since the school's colors are dark blue and gold, but I prefer white gold). The control mirror has opals (bet you thought the control mirror was one the queen could control, eh? Surprise! It really tells her how to control people. Yes, that was the plan the entire time). Opals are various in colors and have little specks of colors. They're so unique in looks, that it's like people. The ways to control people varies from person to person like how the opal's color varies from opal to opal. I'm so glad I've revealed all nine mirrors now. Hopefully the gem colors make sense (minus the sapphire mirror since that's more of a personal thing).


	8. The Dwarfs

My apologies for taking so long with this. I've been fighting a head cold and didn't get a chance to flesh the chapter out until late last night (I wrote the bare bones of it earlier). Thank you for the reviews, and they reminded me that I forgot to say that Wilhelm is named after Wilhelm Grimm, one of the Grimm brothers. I'm considering a series of these and have the next 3 planned out a bit in my head (each would be a different fairy tale and it would be almost generational; all would be novel length). I dropped a hint for one in chapter 6 (book 4 according to my proposed order). Another hint is in this chapter (book 2). Both are very subtle though and don't necessarily point out the fairy tale I'm referring too. In fact, chapter 6's hint could be related to at least 2 familiar fairy tales. Anyway, I hope you're not going to be disappointed with my treatment of the dwarfs. See the A/N at the end. Please keep reviewing, your comments are greatly appreciated (point out flaws too if you see them).

**The Dwarfs**

As Snow White slept a dreamless sleep, she didn't hear the front door open. Seven men walked in, grumbling about their hard day of work. They threw down their tools in a pile next to the door. Lively accidentally stepped on Thumb's foot and Thumb sprang at him; soon the two were fighting on the ground with a few egging them on.

"Hey…hey wait a minute," Seagrass said. He stood next to the cleared table as the men turned to him. Holding up his lantern, Seagrass said, "Where are the dishes?"

"We've been robbed!" Lively said, pointing to the kitchen.

"My lute is still here," Crat said as he picked the instrument up from beside the bench in the far corner.

Stretch looked in the kitchen and said, "The dishes aren't pinched; here they are in the cupboard." The men went and gathered around to see the dishes clean and stacked in the cupboard.

"Well…I'll be," Father said, a smile stretching across his face. "Who do you think did it?" "Hmph," Wage scoffed. "Whoever did it had no right to break into our home."

Stretch held his lantern up and surveyed the room before looking upward toward the loft. "No sign of anyone."

"I don't care what the rest of you do, but I'm going to bed," Father said as he headed to the ladder.

Lively said, "The intruder wasn't a good crook not to take anything. I know we don't have much, but no matter what house I broke into, I managed to take something."

"Yes, and look where that got you," Thumb said.

"You want to go another round, Thumb?" Lively asked, bending at his waist and holding his fists level to Thumb's eyes.

"Knock it off!" Seagrass said, pulling Lively backward by his collar. "I swear you-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Father came down the ladder and rushed toward them as fast as his old bones would let him. "The-the intruder is upstairs in Wage's bed. It's a woman."

"A woman!" the men exclaimed.

"Is she beautiful?" Crat asked.

"How did she get here?" Thumb asked.

"She can't have my bed," Wage said.

The men's voices started to overlap as they bombarded Father with questions. "Whoa! Whoa!" Father said, covering his ears. "Be quiet, she's asleep. Come now and follow me, quietly," Father whispered.

Leaving their lanterns on the table, the six followed Father to the ladder. One by one they climbed up to the loft. They crowded around the bed as Father held the lantern up, letting the light fall across the woman's face.

"She's lovely, a true beauty if I ever saw one," Crat murmured, stretching his hand across toward her ebony curls. Stretch pushed his hand away and warned him with his grey eyes. "She looks like a princess," Crat said.

"Princess? I told you I'm not a princess," the woman spoke in her sleep. She turned over onto her back and tossed a bit. Her face creased with worry as she muttered, "Princess…queen." She gasped and sat straight up in bed saying, "The queen!"

The men's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden wakeful state. She looked at them, her eyes darting from one to the next quickly before she screamed and leapt to her feet, standing on the bed. Her head hit a beam above, which she barely acknowledged it except to wince in pain.

Stretch made the mistake of speaking first, "Miss, I-" His words were cut short when she quickly gave him an uppercut. Staggering backward, Lively and Wage quickly steadied him and all seven backed away from the bed.

"Where am I?" she asked, confused.

"You're in our home, Miss," Lively said.

The woman's eyes widened before she paled and slowly went from standing on the bed to sitting on it. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I-I didn't mean to intrude." She looked over at Stretch who was rubbing his sore chin. "I'd like to apologize for…" she gestured to his chin, "that."

He narrowed his eyes at her, the pain making it difficult to forgive her rash behavior.

She nervously plucked at her apron. "I should leave." The woman stood to go but Father, Crat, Thumb, and Seagrass quickly stopped her, blocking her way to the ladder.

"Don't leave just yet," Seagrass said.

"If you need shelter, we can accommodate," Father reassured her.

"Are you the one who did the dishes?" Wage asked. "Yes," she answered.

"You need work on breaking and entering; I can teach you," Lively offered. Stretch promptly slapped the back of his head.

"Tell us your name," Father said as he sat down on Lively's bed to face her.

"My name is Snow White. What are yours?"

Each gave his name: Father, Crat, Thumb, Seagrass, Wage, Stretch, and Lively.

"We're dwarfs," Father said.

"Dwarfs?" she said, looking from one to the other. "What are dwarfs?"

"A dwarf is a detainee working at redeeming faults," Seagrass said, "D-W-A-R-F. Dwarf. I came up with the name myself on account of Thumb over there."

"Forgive me, but I don't understand."

"It's something King Henry started. Felons such as us can decide to do work for the kingdom instead of staying in the dungeons. Our group here digs for gems in the mountains yonder," Father explained, pointing his hand in the general direction of the mountains.

"Oh," she said. Her eyes kept coming back to Thumb who seemed to know what she was looking at.

"Yes, I'm short and the only true dwarf here. I was born this way," he said.

"That's why we call him Thumb. You know? As in Tom Thumb?" Lively said.

"I believe we have unfinished business, Lively," Thumb said as he pulled his trousers up higher.

"I'm ready any place, anytime," Lively said as he went into fighting stance.

"It's getting late," Father spoke up. "My dear Snow White, I insist you stay in the loft. We men will sleep downstairs."

"On the floor?" Wage sounded appalled.

Father gave him a stern look, his blue eyes flashing angrily. "We'll take the pillows and quilts. Come men, we need to start a fire; it's quite cold in this house."

"But she's on my bed," Wage complained under his breath. "What will I sleep on?"

"You can always sleep with the dogs outside," Stretch mumbled, grabbing Wage's arm to coax him downstairs.

"Good-night, my lady," Crat said with a flourished bow before climbing down the ladder.

Once downstairs, Seagrass kindled a fire in the stone fireplace, casting shadows across the room. They extinguished the lanterns, moved the table and chairs against the wall, and lined the floor with their quilts and blankets. Wage grumbled some more as he grabbed some clothes from the corner and stretched them out to sleep on.

"She's so beautiful," Crat said as he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. "She must be a Lady, I'm sure of it."

Wage rolled his eyes, "She's hardly a Lady. Ladies don't break into strange houses in the woods. Besides, she's not dressed like a Lady. We need to get her out of here tomorrow."

"Perhaps she's a fairy in disguise. Did you not see her eyes? I've never seen eyes like those before," Seagrass said. "I used to hear tales of beautiful, magical fairies when I was out at sea."

"Not more sea tales!" a few men groaned, throwing pillows over their heads. Seagrass grumbled and turned his back to them. It wasn't long before the house was filled with silence occasionally interrupted by snoring.

The smells of frying eggs and pork woke them the following morning. Blinking in surprise, Stretch stood first and went to help Father off the floor. Lively gathered up the bedclothes while Seagrass and Thumb moved the table and chairs back to their proper place.

"I feel guilty that everyone slept down here," Snow White admitted as she handed plates to Crat to set the table.

"Don't worry about it," Crat said to her. "It is a pleasure to share our home with such beautiful company.

"Tell that to my back," Wage said, holding his hand to the small of his back for emphasis.

"Again, I'm so sorry," Snow White said. She offered him an arm to assist him to his chair, but he refused any help. Sitting in his chair, he scowled at her.

"This looks wonderful, my child," Father said as Snow White brought the eggs and pork to the table, filling their plates.

"It is the very least I could do," she said as she pulled a small stool up to the table to sit upon.

The men started eating loudly; their manners were very unrefined as they ate with their mouths open, gulping and slurping the food down like animals. Stretch looked around at the others and cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, we have a lady present; remember your manners."

"Oh, don't go to any trouble. I'm only a kitchen maid…well…I _was_ a kitchen maid," Snow White said.

"You, a kitchen maid?" Crat sounded incredulous.

"Yes, at the castle." "You worked for King Henry?" Lively asked.

"No, I worked in King Rupert's castle."

"Tell us, my dear girl about yourself. How does a kitchen maid from Everton find herself in the middle of a large forest in Thadwick?" Father asked.

Snow White's face grew grave as she said, "One of the king's huntsmen was ordered to kill me yesterday."

All seven, even Wage, stopped and looked up at her. "Murder," one said. They mumbled amongst themselves, about the news.

"Why would anyone want to harm an innocent, beautiful woman such as you?" Crat said.

"He let me go. He told me to run away and never return because the queen wants me dead. She's the one who ordered him to kill me."

"Why though? Why would the queen want a kitchen maid dead?" Father asked.

"Did you steal something?" Lively asked.

"No. I did nothing that I know of. I rarely ever see the queen. She even cared for me as a child."

"She did?" Seagrass asked.

"Yes. I was found in the woods, unconscious near a tree. The queen nursed me until I woke up. I could remember nothing of my life, so she let me work in the kitchen. It was rather odd though, not knowing anything of my former life. Everyone kept confusing me with their lost princess at first. I would have remembered being a princess, I'm sure of it. Besides, they found me in peasant clothing, rags. Who has ever heard of a princess dressed in rags?" Snow White asked them.

They nodded in agreement that they had never heard of a princess dressed in rags. Outside, the dogs scratched at the door and barked. "I'll go feed 'em," Thumb said. He went around collecting some scraps from their plates to take to the dogs. He disappeared out the door with the food.

"Tell us about what you did in the castle. What talents did you develop besides cooking?" Stretch asked.

Snow White laughed heartily, making a few chuckle along with her. "I'm no cook," she admitted.

"I beg to differ," Father said. "I usually fix oatmeal for breakfast."

"God-awful stuff if you ask me," Wage piped in. "The dogs don't even want it most mornings."

"I fail miserably at cooking eggs. Most of the time, they turn out browned and rubbery," Father said. "Preparing meat is beyond my talents too. All I can make is soup with the meat and bones." Wage snorted his opposition to that statement. Father could make soup, if only by its definition, though it was hardly anything to brag about. Father's blue eyes darted at him, causing Wage to turn back to his cup.

"I didn't really cook though in the kitchen. I mostly worked in the gardens, tending the plants. I do so love the outdoors. I did learn the basics when I was younger and can cook well enough to survive, I suppose."

"To us, this is the best meal we've had in…oh, I don't know how long," Seagrass said.

"Tell me about yourselves," Snow White said. She wasn't interested in talking about her past, a past she could never go back to.

"We will tonight," Father promised as he stood. "Right now, we must make our way to the mines. Come, men."

"Tonight? Does…does that mean I can stay?" Snow White asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Of course you can!" Father said.

"You must stay," the others agreed as they picked up their lanterns and discarded tools.

"We shall protect you from that evil queen," Lively said. He petted Snow White's arm as he passed her on his way to the door.

"Oh thank you!" she said happily. "I'll cook, I'll clean, why I'll even plant a garden. I won't be a burden, I promise." She followed them to the door and watched the men grab start down a path that led away from the cottage and toward the mountains. The three dogs, having finished their breakfast looked over at Snow White and desperately seemed to want to go and greet her. Their plans were spoiled before they could even put one paw in her direction, for Thumb whistled for them. Knowing their place, they followed the men toward the mountains.

Surveying the house, Snow White wondered where was the best place to start. Spying the dirty clothes piled in a corner, she decided she would tackle them first. Snow White went outdoors to try to find a small pond to wash them in rather than using the sink. The sunlight glittered through the trees of the forest, painting gold on the young, spring grass. A few hens clucked and pecked at the ground at her feet. As she walked past them, she spied an egg in the grass. "Thank you, madam," Snow White said to the red hen scratching at the dirt next to the egg as she scooped it up.

Cradling the egg in her hand, she walked around the house and smiled upon seeing the pond in the midst of the open patch of land just southwest of the house. Quickly, she returned to the house and placed the brown egg with the other eggs, gathered the clothes along with a cake of soap, and carried them to the pond.

Snow White shook the dirt off them before dunking them into the cold water. She pushed up her sleeves and scrubbed each piece by hand until the majority of the dirt was off. After washing, she hung them on low hanging branches to dry. Blowing a wayward strand of hair out of her face, she surveyed the trousers, shirts, stockings, jackets, and other clothing items as they hung dripping from the still bare branches with the hint of leaf buds. Many of the clothes were in need of mending, but that would have to wait until another time.

Leaving her work behind, Snow White went in and opened each window, letting fresh air and morning sunlight in. Taking a shirt that she had deemed beyond repair, she ripped it into rags and took one, dampened it in the sink, and started washing each window until they looked more presentable.

Next to tackle was the dusting. With another rag, she worked to dust all of the furniture downstairs and in the loft. Taking the broom, she knocked all of the cobwebs from each corner. Once the dust was cleared from the surfaces, she swept the floors, taking the dust with the dirt.

Having found a bucket in the kitchen, she blew the cobwebs out and filled it with water to scrub the floors. On her hands and knees, she started in one corner of the kitchen and scrubbed with a rag until her knuckles were raw and knees aching. Her back cried out when she finally stood and looked at the now clean floor.

Stomach grumbling, Snow White opened the cupboards and found a bit of moldy bread in the cupboard. She sliced the mold off and ate the bread. It was stale and not appetizing at all, but it was better than nothing. Going through the cupboard, she didn't see a variety of ingredients, but she saw enough to make a fresh loaf of bread. Setting to work, she started mixing the dough together. Once finished, she set it near the kitchen window to rise.

Snow White headed outside and saw that it was well into the afternoon for the sun was behind the house now. Going to the pond, she saw that the clothes had finished drying. Snow White gathered them into her arms and took them inside. She sat on the bench and folded each article, setting them in two piles. One pile was for the mending, which she would start after she asked if they had a needle and thread. She picked up part of the other pile and took them to the ladder to the loft. Stretching as high as she could, Snow White set them on the highest rung she could reach. Careful not to swing the ladder too much in her climb, she climbed up, moving the pile higher and higher in her ascent. At the top, she took the clothes to the wardrobe in the corner. Opening the wardrobe, a moth flew out, startling her. She watched it fly out the small window on her right. Snow White placed the clothes neatly on the shelves of the wardrobe and then went back down the ladder for the second pile.

Although she was tired and achy, Snow White decided to start fixing a soup for dinner. The vegetables in the cupboard left much to be desired; they were withered almost beyond recognition. Snow White washed them and tried to salvage the best portions of each. It was a shame that the only meat in the house was pork, but it would have to do. She sliced chunks of it into the pot and added some salt and pepper. She tossed the bone in too for flavor. There was an unlabeled jar of spice in the cupboard, and upon tasting it, she decided it would suit the soup even though she wasn't sure what it was. Adding a pinch of that, she stirred her concoction and hoped it was good enough for the kind men.

The light started to dim, so she built a fire as best as she could. It barely smoldered, but it was better than nothing. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of dogs barking outdoors. Going to the window, she saw the men coming back up the trail toward the house.

"Come in!" she called, "I've almost finished the soup."

They came in, dropping their tools haphazardly onto the floor and hanging the lanterns on hooks next to the door. They praised her with about how the meal smelled. Seagrass went to tend the fire, while the others offered to set the table.

Snow White stood silent, her arms folded across her chest as her eyes narrowed at them. Crat noticed her face and asked what the matter was.

"I worked very hard on cleaning this house and look." She gestured toward the tools laying in the doorway and the dirty shoeprints spotting the clean floor.

Silent, they looked down and saw the mess they had made. "Our apologies, my lady," Crat said as he turned and helped Lively and Stretch gather the tools to stack neatly in the bin next to the door. Thumb collected the men's shoes and took them outdoors. Father picked up the broom and set to sweeping up the loose mud. Seagrass finally finished tending the fire, making it grow strong in the fireplace, and Wage stood and watched the spectacle.

Once everything was tidy once again, Snow White served the soup. After Stretch blessed the meal, everyone tried the soup. While it wasn't the best that Snow White had ever tasted, it wasn't too bad. The men raved about it, saying they hadn't good food in years.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. "Is there a village nearby to buy supplies from? Maybe some vegetables or meats?"

"We get supplies at the mine. They bring supplies to us, grains and some vegetables. As for meat, we have to hunt for it ourselves," Seagrass explained.

"We usually hunt when we find the time," Lively said. "Our last kill was the boar you're cooking with now. We usually can get rabbits though."

"Don't forget the chickens," Wage piped up. "We slaughter a hen if we run out of food."

"Who's 'they?'" Snow White asked.

"Overseers. They're in charge of us; they make sure we don't run off or take the gems," Crat said.

"Is that why you don't just run away?" Snow White asked.

"If one of us runs away and they find out, they'll lock the rest of us back up in the dungeon. When they find the escaped prisoner…well…I don't like to think about what they'll do," Father said.

"They do surprise checks on us some evenings. One of the king's soldiers will come to see if everyone's home and not living in a nearby village," Wage said. "They're afraid we'll fall into our old habits if we go back."

"You probably would," Thumb mumbled under his breath.

"May I ask what each of you did to end up here?" she asked quietly.

The dwarfs looked at each other, unsure of whether they should tell her. Finally, Father spoke, "Let us gather by the fireplace where it is warm and we will each tell you in turn." He stood and took his empty bowl to the sink. Each man followed his example. Stretch stirred the fire as they pulled the chairs up closer to the fire.

"Wait," Snow White said as the men went to fill their mugs with ale before sitting. "Do you have a needle and some thread? I'd like to do the mending while I listen."

Crat smiled at her and nodded. He disappeared upstairs before returning with the desired needle and thread. Snow White thanked him and retrieved the rags she had made that morning to use as potential patches when needed. Picking up the first shirt from the mending pile, she threaded her needle and looked at the men, expectantly.

"Thumb, why don't you start?" Father suggested as he took a draught of his ale. The fire crackled as Thumb cleared his throat to start his story.

Snow White asks about the mine work and why they don't run away (they kill the ones left if one runs away). Go into her chopping wood the next day. After dinner, the men start telling their stories.

A/N: I mentioned this will be novel-length, right? Next few chapters will be the dwarfs' backstories. I'm hoping that people won't mind 7 convicts living in the woods, but really, to me, 7 dwarfs living in the middle of the woods and digging in mines for gems seemed less likely. If you've ever seen the Disney film, during the "Dig, Dig, Dig" song, they mention something about digging for gems though they don't know why. Well, I'm giving them a reason. They're felons with a debt owned to the kingdom. Might as well make the kingdom rich with the sweat from their brows. Names are nicknames, and they'll be explained in the backstories. BTW, I love Seagrass's nickname, but my computer swears the word doesn't exist, though I chose it from the program's dictionary. Stupid program.


	9. Of Fights, Thievery, and Gambling

Happy Halloween! Sorry for the delay, real life stuff preventing me from working on this. Thanks for the comments and reviews! Please, please, please let me know about errors. I did a grammar/spell check on it and did a bit of re-reading, but it was more of a once-over. If you see mistakes, including eye/hair color switching on the dwarfs, let me know. Yes, there are fragments, but that's from speech. If you see any that aren't in the speaking parts, point them out. Yes, there isn't an ending " mark on some of the paragraphs. That's because in writing, if you have a character that speaks and continues speaking into another paragraph, you don't put quotations at the end and then at the beginning of the next because it makes it look like a new character is speaking. Instead, you leave them off the end but put them on the beginning of the next. ;)

**Of Fights, Thievery, and Gambling**

"I was born nearly thirty years ago in the small town of Iremoore, about twenty miles from the castle. My father was the local cobbler, and my mother, God rest her soul, bore him four children with me being her third.

"From a young age, I knew I was different. My parents never concealed the truth from me; that I was a dwarf. Both were very supportive, saying that being small was special. My father used to tell us the story of the elves and the shoemaker. Have you heard it before, Snow White?" Snow White nodded that she hadn't.

Thumb cleared his throat and started telling her the tale, "There once was a poor shoemaker and his wife; he was so poor that he could only afford enough leather for one pair of shoes. After cutting the leather, the shoemaker went to bed with plans to finish the shoes in the morning. When he awoke, he found a pair of beautiful shoes on the table where he had laid the leather. Examining the shoes, he was astonished with the craftsmanship. He had never seen their equal. The man the shoes were meant for liked them so much that he paid the shoemaker enough money to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes.

"He cut the leather for the two pairs and left them on the table just as he had the night before. When he woke up, two beautiful pairs of shoes were set on the table. After selling the shoes, he had enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes. Every night, he would cut new shoes and every morning, he would find beautiful shoes on the table.

"After a few days of this wondrous miracle, the shoemaker's wife said to her husband, 'Let us hide in the room tonight and see who makes these marvelous shoes.' The shoemaker agreed, and they made sure the fire was blazing brightly as they hid behind some coats hanging in a corner.

"Around midnight, after nearly falling asleep, the shoemaker's wife elbowed him and pointed to the table. Two tiny naked men were stitching together the shoes with expert precision. They were no taller than the shoemaker's hand, making using a needle a challenge, but they worked so fast that the shoemaker's eyes could barely follow them. As soon as they finished their work, they scampered to the window and went out into the cold December night.

"The shoemaker's wife said to her husband, 'These elves have shown us such kindness by making the shoes. They must be so cold without any clothes of their own. I think I shall make little shirts, coats, and breeches for them. I'll even knit them some stockings. You could surely spare some leather and cobble them some shoes.' Her husband agreed and both set to work that day fashioning a set of clothes for each man.

"They laid the gifts on the table and hid behind the coats that night. The elves came in through the window and climbed onto the table. Both stood still as they stared at the garments. They shouted for joy as they clothed themselves. Taking each other's hands, they danced with merriment singing, 'What spruce and dandy boys are we! No longer cobblers we will be.'

"The elves left then through the window, still singing. The shoemaker and his wife never saw them again, but they remembered their kindness." Thumb stopped and took a draught of his ale before speaking again.

"My father told me that he was the shoemaker. This took place before they had children. My mother said I was special for my small size. She said that if the elves ever came back, they would be happy to see that the cobbler they had helped now had a son so much like them.

"Of course, this was just a fairy story. As I learned when I grew older, there is no such thing as elves, though my father and mother insisted it was true." Thumb sighed and continued, "It gets harder to believe in magical creatures like elves and dwarfs. Dwarfs, as I soon discovered, are only little people." Lively cleared his throat. "Oh," Thumb said, "and convicts working for the crown.

"The thing…the thing that made me realize that being a dwarf wasn't being someone who could do anything like the elves in the story was when I started interacting more with other children. I remember the first time a boy made fun of me. It was like…like something in my head went off. He just kept calling me names and holding a ball I had been playing at over my head, just out of reach. 'Jump, mite. Jump and get your ball!' he taunted. Each time I jumped, he would raise it higher and laugh at me. Children soon gathered around and joined in his teasing.

"I don't know what came over me, but something snapped. I jumped at him, forcing my weight against him, and knocking him to the ground. I started hitting him over and over again. It was like I was possessed and couldn't stop. My older brother pulled me off and calmed me down. As I looked at the boy on the ground with the bloody nose, I didn't feel bad about what I had done. No, instead, I felt glad. I was glad he was hurting because he made me hurt. I knew then that I could hurt anyone who hurt me."

An image flashed in Snow White's mind. It was of two tiny, pale fists hitting a boy in the face. She felt as if she was there, pounding some boy…a boy who made fun of her for…for…something. Blinking, she dismissed the memory and listened to what Thumb was saying.

"The older I got, the more fighting I did. I even went looking for fights. The fight that got me imprisoned was one with some aristocratic man who thought he was better than everyone. Riding through town with his nose in the air, he saw me and made a comment that I should have been killed at birth. I told him to get off his horse and fight man to man. He laughed saying he didn't fight with half-men.

"A few townspeople had gathered around by then and were taunting the man, saying he was afraid. He still wouldn't get off the horse and started throwing insults to everyone about being poor, uneducated, dirty, and so forth. Suddenly, someone slapped the horse on its hindquarters. That made the mare rear back, dumping her rider. That was when I jumped on top of him.

"I started beating that stupid smirk off his face. He turned pale and scared, and it made me happy. I kept pounding him and pounding him," Thumb threw punches in the air to emphasize his point. "My fists made contact over and over again until his nose ran bloody and bruises started to form. What I didn't know was that he had friends. They came into the square and grabbed me. Two of them tied my hands behind my back. They tied another rope around my waist and tied it to a horse.

"As they rode out of town, forcing me to follow on foot without my hands for balance, the last thing I saw was my mother's sad face as she watched me leave.

"I was thrown into the dungeon, never having a chance to defend myself. I never saw my family again. The only news I got was when some fellow from Iremoore ended up in the dungeon three years later. He knew my family and said my mother had died from a fever about a year after I was imprisoned.

"Dungeon life was rough. Everything's damp and smells like excrement, mold, and dead rodents. I had the worse cough for years from the damp, stale air and poor diet. They fed us moldy bread and gruel daily. As bad as Father's food tastes, it is much better than what we ate."

"Thank you, Thumb," Father said.

"I fought a lot in prison too. Anyone who got on my bad side got at least one punch. Especially when they started calling me Thumb. If my parents hadn't named me Thomas, maybe they wouldn't have called me Tom Thumb, later shortened to just Thumb. It's a rite of passage in the dungeon family to have a nickname, and I wanted to be called Fist. I-"  
"Oh! That's why Oak started calling you Thumb! Do you remember that, Father? Oak heard him say to call him Fist, and that reminded Oak of a thumb, leading him to Tom Thumb because of Thumb's Christian name," Seagrass said.

"Keep out of my tale. You'll have a chance to say your own soon enough," Thumb said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm just pointing out that it was your own fault you got the nickname Thumb. Oak wasn't the smartest of the lot. He probably wouldn't have thought of it," Seagrass said as he crossed his feet in front of the fire.

"You see Snow White, the old Thumb would have started fighting with him as soon as he opened his big mouth. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf with this new lease on life. I slip on occasion and still have fights, but I'm trying, honest I am," Thumb explained.

"I believe you," Snow White said, giving him a small smile of encouragement. "How long were you in the prison?"  
"We've been here for two years…so…that would be…" Thumb paused and counted on his fingers before answering, "I was in the prison for five long years. Since leaving, my health has improved greatly. I wasn't really supposed to go because I was still fighting everyone, but Father convinced them that I would be good to work in the mines because of my small size. He said he would be personally responsible for me. And that, my lady, is the story of Thumb." Thumb bowed his head to her.

"Lively, you should go next," Father said.

"Right," Lively said. He stood from his chair and looked at Snow White, "My childhood can be summed up in one word: curious. I was a curious little boy, always looking in windows, sneaking behind trees, going into shops and hiding behind some goods. I became obsessed with seeing everything in the world.

"I grew up in a town near the palace called Giblim. My parents worked as servants for a lord, and we lived in a small house on the lord's land. I used to sneak into the large home and look at all of the pretty things. Things made from fine metals and gems. Things that only money could buy. They glittered and sparkled before me, taunting me." Lively's hazel eyes sparkled as he talked.

"It wasn't long before I had to take one. I took a shiny golden button that had fallen from the lord's jacket. My mother was supposed to sew it on. I don't know if she got in trouble for its absence or not, but I had my little treasure.

"I used to carry it in my pouch tied to my waist and bring it out to rub between my fingers until the cold metal turned warm." As he talked, Lively reached at his side and held the invisible button between his fingers.

Returning the imaginary button to the imaginary pouch, he continued his story, "Having gotten away with my first crime, it became easier to steal things. I would take other small items like the button at first before moving onto more extravagant things. I even snuck up to the lady's room and took a necklace once. The lady became convinced that my mother stole it, and she had my parents removed from her service. We had no home and were forced to beg on the streets.

"You would think that a little boy would be ashamed to have done such a thing, but I wasn't. I would go begging on the streets, separate from my parents…or so they thought. Instead of begging, I would sneak into shops and houses to steal something. I made money by selling the pilfered goods to people on the street. My father always marveled at how much more money I made from begging than they did. Soon, we had enough to pay for board in a small house owned by a widowed old lady.

"Around the age of fifteen, I started sneaking out at night to go looking for things to steal. I started with the houses on my street. Anything valuable, I took. I had a way of walking around a house without a soul hearing me." Lively demonstrated by slowly walking heel to toe around the circle of chairs. "I could take things silently," he said. He took a little wooden carving of a bird off the mantel without disturbing the other wooden figurines set upon it. "Why, I became so good, I could take the pillow out from under a man's head," Lively said. He pirouetted and with a quick jerk, pulled the cushion off the Wage's chair, right out from Wage.

"Give that back!" Wage growled, reaching for the cushion. Lively smiled and gave it to him.

"You see?" he said, I was a master. His face turned sad as he sank back onto his chair and looked defeated. "At least, I _was_ a master. I was two and twenty when I got caught. I left the comfort of my parents' home at seventeen, saying I was setting off to find my place in the world, much to my mother's chagrin. She wanted me to marry and settle down." Lively gave a dismissive wave of his arm. "I'm much more attracted to riches and the art of stealing than to the female form. At any rate, I traveled for a while from town to town, sleeping during the day in the woods and stealing at night. I stole so much, that I left most of it in the woods. I eventually headed back to Giblim and went to the lord's house where my parents worked.

"I thought I was a well-practiced thief by then," Lively said. "I really wanted the golden walking stick that the lord had. It was beautiful with a lion's growling head on the end; the lion had little emeralds for eyes. I pictured myself walking through town with that stick, looking quite important.

"Apparently, I overestimated my talents. I had no trouble crawling in the open window. I found my way through the dark without incident, making it upstairs. Inside of the lord's chambers, I could just make out the walking stick in the corner. Walking softly toward it," Lively stood and started sneaking to the corner of the room, showing Snow White how well he did it, he let his foot get caught on Seagrass's chair. "I somehow bumped my foot on the bedpost, and that woke up one of the lady's little spaniels asleep on the foot of the bed. The little dog yapped and before I could make it to the window for my escape, I felt someone yank my collar back." Lively reached behind his head and grabbed his collar, pulling it up and back, allowing himself to stumble backward. "Once turned around, I was face-to-face with the lord."

Sighing, he once again sunk back into his chair. "The prison became my home for the next year before we moved here to work. Like Thumb, I'm trying to better myself. Working near the beautiful gems, even in their unpolished state, I admit, it was hard at first. I tried to take one or two those first few days. But once you get a cane cracked across your knuckles, you get in line quickly."

"Do the guards at the mine hit you?" Snow White asked.

Lively chuckled, "No. That would be Father. He has a cane he uses in the mine for support. I think if I was caught by a guard, I would receive a far worse punishment."

"Oh," she said.

"Do you have any more questions, Snow White?" he asked.

"How did you get the nickname Lively?" she asked.

Lively smiled, "I would try to impress the men in the prison by telling them of my many escapades. I even gave them tips. When escaping I would tell the men to-"

"Step lively, step lively!" the others chimed in.

"Correct," Lively smiled, "Step lively. You want to escape quickly and with some caution. I find that stepping lively," Lively stood and demonstrated his almost bouncy, quickstepping way that included looking left to right and back with each step, "works the best." He returned to his seat then and crossed his arms behind his shaggy brown hair.

"Wage, if you please," Father said, lighting his pipe.

"Please what?" Wage asked.

"Tell your story, you idiot," Thumb said.

Wage grumbled before coughing and sniffling his nose. He spat some phlegm into his cup, causing Snow White to wrinkle her nose in disgust. Wage seemed in deep thought, as if trying to form his words. "I wasn't poor, no, never was poor. Wasn't rich either. My birth isn't of much consequence. I was born and raised, nothing else to say about that. I did like my horse. Perhaps…perhaps that is where it all started.

"I used to brag to the other boys about how fast my girl could run. I'd race 'em and Dame would beat any horse I put her against. I started betting money with boys about my Dame being the fastest horse, and I kept winning.

"As all boys do, I grew up. I got married and a shipping merchant hired me to be in charge of his accounts. He was a young merchant, had just inherited the business from his father. I was a bright-eyed nineteen-year-old, eager to make some money.

"Living near the sea as I did in Tolton was exciting. There were always new people coming in and out of town and from overseas. And the goods! Exotic spices, cloths, and other fine wares came from the ships. What I became interested in though was the alcohol."

His close-set brown eyes looked over at her and hardened, "Don't go thinking I'm some drunken fool. That wasn't my interest in the stuff. I had an entirely different motive, do you understand that?"

Snow White nodded her head that she understood. Satisfied, Wage spoke, "Drinks mess with a man's head, makes him slow, less observant, if you get enough of it in you, you start to forget things. It's perfect for the gambling man, which I was.

"Yes, a betting man I was. I would spend nights with the sailors and townsfolk. We would play betting games, card games, games with dice, what have you. I would always offer to buy the men drinks and would pick the ones I knew would take effect the fastest. It was easier to cheat if I had to if they were drunk.

"There is one more problem with alcohol. In some men, it makes them angry. On occasion, one mean drunk would catch me and I'd go home with a black eye."

He chuckled and passed a hand over his balding head, "Ginger, being my wife, was a patient soul. When I'd spend the night out gambling and come home with a black eye, I could tell she was mad, but she never said a word. Maybe she should have…" His eyes glazed over as he remembered.

"She wasn't pretty in the conventional sense. She was rather homely, short and squat, though I'm one to talk," he laughed a bit and patted his round belly for emphasis. "But she had a smile that could light a room. That smile could make anyone who saw it smile too. And her laugh was lovely, magical even." He grew quiet as his face took on a serene look, lost in the memory. Stretch cleared his throat, snapping Wage out of his spell.

Wage sighed, "The more I gambled, the less I saw that smile. She aged too from my gambling. I used to think it was from raising our two boys, but no, it was from the gambling. It must have been hard on her.

"I don't know if it was the money disappearing that bothered her more or if it was worry for me. I think she did worry for me. Most of the sailors kept knives on their persons for protection against pirates, and it was dangerous business to deal with them sometimes. I knew a man who got his throat slit after winning a card game against one. Everyone knew about that, including Ginger. Still, she didn't complain.

"Gambling is just that, a gamble. You win some, but you tend to lose more often than not. There's this wonderful feeling when you win. It's as if you're the king himself, sitting on a golden throne. That's how I felt. That's what kept me waging bets." He looked back at Snow White, "Yes, that's why they call me Wage."

He looked into the fire and said quietly, "When you lose though…when you lose, you think you can get it back at first, so you play again…and again…and again. Eventually, you run out of money. I would sell things from around the house, little things at first, things I owned. Once I ran out of my own things, I started stealing from Ginger. She had this pearl necklace that her grandmother owned. Ginger loved that necklace. I was so addicted to gambling, I had to have more to gamble with. I took it one night and bet it in a card game. I lost. Ginger never said a word.

"The lowest point was when I stole from the merchant. I was in charge of money after all, and he wouldn't miss a little bit because he was getting successful. I took just a bit at first, only a bit. I took more the next time, then a little more. I lost all of it.

"I ended up betting one of the merchant's ships with a full cargo of gems to ship out to another country across the sea. I was so sure of my hand of cards, that I didn't second guess that decision. There was only one hand in the game that was better than mine, and I didn't think he would have it. He did." Wage hung his head, curving his spine until his head was almost between his knees.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up again and said, "When the man came to claim the ship, that's when the merchant found out. He turned me in, and I was tossed into the dungeon. I was only there a few months, and believe me, those few months were enough. I'm grateful to be here and mining, really I am. I just miss my family. I don't know how Ginger is or John or Joseph. I don't know if they'll still be there by the time I've repaid my debt to society. I can only pray to God that they will be."

The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire. Outside, an owl hooted. Seagrass stood and stirred the fire; the motion seemed to stir Wage.

"We don't keep any playing cards or dice here," Wage said. "A few men had them at the prison, and I did play a few times…lost my supper a few nights because of it. When the seven of us were chosen to come here, Father made sure that not one of us had any temptations for me." Wage chuckled and held up his mug of ale. "You can see, if we did, I could use the ale to get them drunk and take them for all of their money."

"You overestimate your skill," Seagrass said. "If you were so good at gambling, you wouldn't be sitting with us today." Wage opened his mouth to respond before closing it and grumbling under his breath.

"You get paid?" Snow White asked. She winced as she pricked her finger and quickly brought the tip to her mouth to ease the pain.

"A little, barely anything," Crat said.

"The queen came up with it because she said if they give us just a bit of money, it'll be easier for us to get back into society once we're done here. We can also get the guards at the mines to buy things in town for us. Most of us keep our money and hide it from Lively."

"Hey!" Lively said, "Where is the trust, Stretch? Where is the brotherhood?" Snow White could see the teasing smile in Lively's eyes and felt a smile try to creep onto her own face, twisting the corner of her mouth up a bit.

"Crat's the only one who spends his money regularly," Thumb said.

"I like to buy music for my lute," Crat said. He stood and went to fetch his lute beside the bench. Up on the fireplace mantel, behind the wooden animals, was a scroll of parchment. He removed a scroll from inside the scroll, for it was several sheets rolled together and sat back in his seat. He handed the paper to Father at his right to hold, and Crat played the song with a few of the dwarfs singing along to the folk song.

Once finished, everyone applauded his playing, making him smile broadly and puff out his proud chest. He returned the music and the lute then sat down.

"Perhaps you should speak next, Crat," Father said.

"Gladly," Crat said before his face turned solemn. He turned to Snow White, "I must ask, my lady, that you don't judge me until I finish my story. It's not something that I'm proud of; I hope it won't make you think less of me."


	10. Of Affairs, Piracy, and Sacrifice

Thank you for the reviews and sorry this is late! I had to take a break from it because I was frustrated with what I had written for Crat. I'm more satisfied now. I didn't leave an author's note at the bottom of the last chapter, so I forgot to mention there is a clue about book 3 in there, but it won't be the Elves and the Shoemaker. The Elves and the Shoemaker is one of my favorite fairy tales, and I had to include it. I leave it up in the air as to whether Thumb's father was telling the truth or telling a folk tale. This story has a hint for book 2. If you can't get it by the end of the chapter...I don't know how else to do a hint. It's important to note that the books will all connect together, they're not stand-alones (can be but are more of a series). The 7 deadly sins idea was a good one, but it's not what I was aiming for. Let me know about errors. 1 more story to go for the backstories, then back to the main action.

**Of Affairs, Piracy, and Sacrifice**

Snow White lowered her needle and looked into Crat's noble face. He seemed worried about what she would think; it seemed odd that a simple kitchen maid's opinion would be so important to him. "I will try," she said, "I will try to listen with an open mind."

Crat breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a short, sad smile before turning his eyes to the mug in his hands and starting his story, "The ending would make a fitting beginning for my story. My nickname, Crat is short for aristocrat. I'm a lord, or, more exactly, I _was_ a lord. I was stripped of my title.

"You can imagine prison life for an aristocratic man such as me. I was constantly teased and tormented. At mealtimes, men would say things like, 'My Lord, tonight we shall be dining on roast fowl and pudding,' and laughing when they watched the guard give me a bowl of gruel. They made fun of the way I walked, talked, everything. I was an easy target especially because I was in mourning."

"Mourning?" Snow White asked as she picked up the next garment to mend.

His blue eyes looked over at her and he sighed deeply. "I was mourning the loss of my beloved."

Snow White stopped and looked over at him. "I'm so sorry that she passed."

He blinked in surprise and shook his head, "Oh no, no, no, you've misunderstood. I meant the loss of being near her, holding her, talking to her, drinking in her beauty with my eyes."

"How long were you married?" Snow White asked.

"I was never married to her."

"She was your sweetheart then?"

"Yes…and no."

"Just tell her the truth, Crat," Father said, "Quit beating around the bush."

Crat's face grew red as he made his confession. "She was married to another man, a duke." He quickly drank from his mug and refused to look at the stunned young woman mending Lively's shirt.

"Maybe…maybe I should start at the beginning after all." He cleared his throat, "I was born into my title, coming from a long line of lords. My family lands weren't vast like some, but they were adequate. We were wealthy with a few servants and fine things. Like most of the wealthy children, I got a fine education, learning about philosophy, history, mathematics, reading the finest works of literature, and other such things. I had two horses that probably could have beaten Wage's mare."

"Doubt it," Wage mumbled.

"Yes, I had everything a boy could want. The problem with having money is that you have more free time. I learned from listening to my fellow prison brethren that most of the world has to work. Hearing the stories of how the other prisoners grew up made me realize how easy I had it.

"When I was a young boy, I was passionate about hunting. It absorbed my thoughts. Walking around the land, I would always have an ear tuned and eye ready for any passing wildlife, whether it was beast or fowl. I loved riding through the woods with a bow and quiver full of arrows, looking for prey. I relished bragging to the other boys about what I killed and showing off the pelts I gathered. It was my life, and I could not see how life could get better.

"I grew up as boys do. When I was fourteen, I saw a lovely girl and fell for her. My passion changed from looking for animals to looking for females. I would scrutinize every woman I saw, sizing her up in terms of beauty. I wooed every beautiful woman I saw. Young ladies were eager to marry a handsome young lord."

"Handsome!" Lively snickered.

"I'll have you know I was a very handsome man. In fact, I still am," Crat said looking offended. It was true that he wasn't ugly. He was in his mid-forties with a lean body of medium height and no outstanding facial features that would prove ugly. Crat had blue eyes and medium brown hair with gray at the temples to give away his age. Sometimes, one might mistake him for older because his face was careworn from years of living in the dark, damp prison. All of the men looked a bit older than they should except for Lively, whose irrepressible spirit hadn't seemed to break in the prison.

Lively simply smiled a cat-like smile. He seemed to enjoy baiting the others and could get away with it because of his almost boyish charm.

"As I was trying to say, ladies found me a suitable man for marriage. I was titled, had land, had money, and _good_ looks." He looked purposely at Lively as he said that last bit. "I didn't want to settle down though. Like a bee drawn to a flower, I wanted to sample all of the nectar I could. I-"

"Crat, keep in mind that there is a lady present," Father said.

"My apologies for my choice of words, my lady," Crat said, nodding his head to Snow White. He continued, "I was not a marrying man; I'm still not. Many a heart did I break in my ways. I was never in love with any of them until Margaret.

"Margaret, wife of the Duke of Minton, ah what a beautiful woman," Crat sighed deeply. "She had golden hair that fell to her waist, bright blue eyes nearly as beautiful as your own, Snow White, and porcelain skin that she kept powdered. Her skin was like silk, soft and perfect." Snow White's hands were under the garment she was working on. She paused in her work and felt the palm of her hand, the calluses, the roughness of them. She grimaced slightly. Margaret was a true lady though, one that would not use her hands like a common kitchen maid who had a love of gardening.

"She was young and beautiful just as I was young and beautiful. The duke was old, fat, and ugly with a permanent scowl etched on his face, much like Wage."

"Oh get on with it, the fire's dying," Wage complained. Seagrass stood and stirred the fire, adding a log to enhance the blaze.

"To make a long story short," Crat said.

"Thank heaven," Wage muttered.

Crat shot him a look before continuing, "To make a long story short, the duke caught the duchess and me in an…amorous situation. He wanted me beheaded." Crat paused and rubbed his neck. "My father surrendered most of his lands and a large sum of money to the duke in order to save my neck . Sometimes, it pays to have money."

"You loved her?" Snow White asked.

"Love?" Crat pondered the word before saying, "No. I love women for their beauty, but I've never truly loved a woman."

"You called her your beloved," Snow White said.

"True, however I called all of my ladies that."

"The word 'love' is lost on him, my child," Father said. "Though, he's getting better. Most of that is due to having no female contact. Your presence will be a good test for Crat's willpower to overcome his amorous ways."

"If he tries to make any advances on you, we'll gladly put him in his place," Thumb said.

"As beautiful as the fair Snow White is, over twenty years of my life were spent rotting in the dungeon. I'm quite cured of my ways. When I do finally pay off my debt to society, I may try to settle down. If Snow White will have me, I'll gladly take her as my wife," Crat said.

Snow White blushed furiously and turned her attention to her work. The men just laughed at Crat and told him that the lady was too good for him.

"I'm not a lady," Snow White said. The men simply shrugged and Father encouraged Seagrass to tell his story.

Seagrass stirred the fire once more before sitting down and looking over at Snow White. "I'm sure you have guessed by now that I am not from this land. I was born on a large island that lies several thousand miles to the west."

Snow White knew that he was different from any other man she had ever seen. His skin was dark, as if he had stayed out in the sun for months and had tanned deeply. His hair was jet black, much like her own and was wavy to his shoulders, a fashion that she had not seen before. Seagrass had the darkest eyes she had ever seen too. They were so dark that they were almost black.

"My father was from this country if you can believe it. He was a sailor and fell in love with my mother, a woman of the islands on the other side of the ocean. My looks come from her. She became with child, and her parents were not pleased with this. They shunned her, so my father took her on the ship and sailed with her. I was born on that ship, but my mother was homesick. Father took her home to her parents and kept me since he knew they would not care for me."

"What did your mother do? Didn't she want to keep you? Wasn't she sad to let her son go?" Snow White asked.

Seagrass smiled sadly at her, "I asked my father the same questions. He said that my mother," Seagrass sighed deeply, "my mother didn't want me either. She was relieved when the ship sailed away taking her problems with it. Father missed her and never married. He had wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't."

"How awful," Snow White said.

Seagrass shrugged and said, "I never really knew her, so it didn't affect me much." Snow White could tell that he was lying and knew that he still felt scars from his mother's absence in his life.

"I was raised on a ship and took my first steps on a ship." Seagrass laughed, "I remember the first time on land when I was probably seven. I had a hard time walking and had to get my 'land legs' as Father called them." He paused to take a drink before continuing, "My fondest memories were of my childhood on the ship. I remember sneaking up on the deck some nights and sleeping under the stars. The smell of the salt water drifting through the air was as fragrant to me as flowers are to others.

"That all changed when I was ten. Pirates attacked our ship and looted it of the shipment of…I cannot quite remember to tell you the truth. My heart pounded when they boarded the ship, yelling and shouting with the sounds of swords being drawn. Father grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a barrel. He told me to hide behind it and stay quiet. 'No matter what happens to me, you stay here, do you understand?' he asked me. I nodded in response because I was struck dumb by my fear.

"Oh, they were horrible looking men. They were merciless and easily defeated the men on board. I watched in horror as my father begged for his life in front of a pirate. The pirate laughed and sliced his neck clean. Father grasped his neck as the crimson blood leaked from the wound and coated his collar and fingers. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run to him as I watched him fall helpless to the deck, the life stolen from him." Snow White noticed that his face was now a few shades paler as he recalled this painful memory.

"I did as I was told and stayed behind the barrel. I wasn't going to disobey my father…until I saw the torches in their hands, lighting the ship on fire, as they made ready to escape. That was when I jumped from behind the barrel like a scared animal.

"They stood there for a few moments, dumbfounded by my sudden appearance. I looked all around me at the dead bodies and the flaming ship. One of the men reached over and grabbed my hand. I struggled at first, pulling back to try to escape. He told me that I needed to leave quickly. They took me aboard their ship, and the captain decided that I could stay with them. And that is how my life of piracy began."

Snow White's fine, black brows jumped up in surprise. "You're surprised? How did you think I got my nickname? Seagrass was my pirate name, and it stuck in the prison as well. I can't even remember my real name. I think it began with a D though.

"Yes, I joined the men who killed my father. I found a brotherhood there, a new family. Many of them looked like me and would tell me about the islands. At first, I was just a boy who helped the chef and cleaned, much like what you did in the castle. They also taught me how to handle a sword and several ways to kill a man. I was sixteen the first time I went with the pirates to pillage a village."

"Pillage a village! Excellent rhyme there, Seagrass," Lively said, extending his mug toward Seagrass to hit it against Seagrass's mug. Snow White felt a memory of rhyming trying to break through to her consciousness. A mystical voice rhyming every sentence…

"I am too ashamed to talk about my past. Did I know it was wrong to steal, kill, torture, and other horrible things pirates do? Yes, of course I did. My past is my past though; I am paying for it now.

"I was caught off the coast of Thadwick nearly ten years ago. I had stayed behind on the ship that day because I had a bit of a cold. Guards came to the ship hours after the others had left to go on a raid. I was arrested and brought to King Henry's dungeon. My life was spared because I hadn't had a hand in the killings that had gone on that day. I later learned that all of the pirates were executed. If I had been with them, I would have died as well.

"Father took me under his wing, for I was different and shunned because of my exotic looks. It's amazing the ignorance one encounters when one looks a bit different. People assumed I was unintelligent and uncivilized because of how I looked. Father didn't though. He accepted me, and when Father accepts you, everyone accepts you. That's how life works in the castle dungeon.

"I ended up teaching some of the men to read and write during my stay. I also taught them some colorful words, which I am now trying to forget. I want to better myself. When I leave here, I want to be accepted into a small town. Maybe I'll open a small school and teach children to read and write. I became quite good at it. I even taught Stretch how to read and write."

"I'm sure you'll do well at it," Snow White smiled.

"Thank you, my lady. Since I have the floor and a captivated audience, I shall now entertain you with a story from the high seas." The men groaned in response.

Ignoring them, Seagrass started his tale, "This is a very true story, it is how I learned that magical creatures exist and folk tales can be true. Thumb may not believe his father's story about the elves, but it could be completely true. I have seen evidence of a popular legend. I have seen the grey island."

"The grey island?" Snow White asked.

"Don't encourage him," Wage said.

"The grey island is the home of the sleeping beauty. Have you heard the tale of the sleeping beauty?"

"Oh yes," Snow White said, "One of the maids used to tell her children of her. Is the story true?"

"Aye, it is. Princess Rosamond still lies asleep in the castle awaiting a king's son to wake her from her slumber. I have seen the island, and it is aptly named. All you can see are great hedges and thorns. A great storm cloud looms over the island, making everything look grey. Thunder booms and lightning crashes on the island. It is an eerie sight. It can be a beautiful clear day with not a cloud in the sky until one sees the island and the menacing storm that curses the place.

"Not only will the prince that is fabled to wake her have to best the hedges and thorns that have overgrown the place, not only will he have to endure the storm, but he will also have to reach the island. That is not an easy feat, believe you me. The waters around the island are choppy, tempestuous, and dotted with whirlpools. Many have tried and failed. Along the shore of the island, you can see the remains of ships. Whether the princes who were on those ships drowned in the sea or died on the island is unknown, but I could have sworn that I saw a skull impaled on a particularly large thorn along the coast. The fairy has not made it an easy task to reach her."

"Children's stories," Thumb scoffed.

"I swear on my life that the place exists; the story is completely true. I've never seen anything quite like it before; it gave me chills when I first gazed upon it. Perhaps one day, I'll have money to charter a ship and take you to the place, Thumb. It is perhaps a hundred miles south of Nordiem."

"It's a myth, and you know it," Thumb said. "The grey island does not exist at all; neither does Princess Rosamond nor the thirteen fairies."

"Thank you, Seagrass for sharing your story," Father interjected. "The hour is growing late though, so you shall have to tell Snow White more about the grey island some other night. Stretch, it's your turn," Father said.

Stretch uncrossed his long legs before crossing them again. There wasn't a doubt in Snow White's mind where Stretch's nickname came from. He looked like a man who had been stretched because he was so tall and thin. His lanky frame was over six and a half feet when he stood up straight, which was a difficult task indoors. Stretch was so used to his height that walking with a hunch inside was second nature to him.

"I was born in a village not far from here, deep in the mountains almost four decades ago. My father worked at felling trees for wood for various things. I had a mother until the age of five when she died. It had been a stormy night, and lightning struck our roof, catching it on fire. Father got out with my younger brother, Jed. Mother got out too, but when she saw I wasn't with my father, she rushed back in the house to get me. She saved me, but she wasn't the same after that. She had an awful cough from the smoke and eventually died a few days later.

"It was partially from living with the guilt that mother died after saving me and partially from pressure from my father that I became my brother's keeper. I took little odd jobs here and there to help with the household while my brother went to school and learned reading, writing, mathematics, and all of the other subjects children learn.

"Jed was always getting into trouble, always running off and creating mischief. Most days, I would find myself searching the village for him, worried about what he had gotten himself into. But, he could charm his way out of anything that he did, whether it was taking a chicken from the neighbor's yard or breaking our fence because he was walking on top of the rail, he got away with it.

"At fourteen, I started courting Sarah Miller. Sarah was a pretty little thing with pale hair and a dusting of freckles across her nose. I would have done anything to make her happy, even going to the moon and back if it would have made her smile. Since Father was still in the business of felling trees, we always had wood lying around the house. I had taken up whittling in my spare time by then and carved her a little bird much like this one." Stretch reached his long arm over Seagrass and plucked a wooden bird off the mantel. He held the small treasure in his hands, staring at it for a few seconds before standing and handing it to Snow White.

She stood and looked at the delicate bird with its beak open as if singing a song. It was perched on a tree branch that curved gracefully upward with little leaves growing off the branch. She walked over to the mantel and looked at the dozen or so carved animals that lived there. She had seen them while cleaning but hadn't had time to really study them before. Placing the bird back between the tortoise and the fox, she turned to Stretch, "You carved all of these?"

"Yes."

Snow White looked at them and picked up a doe with her long neck bent to drink out of a pond. The wooden surface of the pond even had little ripples carved into it. She stroked her finger along the side of the tiny treasure and said, "You have quite a talent. I think this deer is my favorite." Stretch thanked her as she went back to her chair and resumed her work.

Stretch sighed, "Unfortunately, Sarah had eyes for Jed and only Jed. Jed was only a year and a half younger than me and much more handsome. I was already growing tall and lanky with my large nose sticking out prominently. Jed was tall, but he wasn't as tall as I was, he was just right. His features were fair while mine were dark. His skin wasn't as tanned as mine was since he hadn't worked to keep our tiny farm that sustained us up. He was on his way to being broad-shouldered too. Yes, the girls all had a crush on Jed. It devastated me when I saw Jed walking hand-in-hand with Sarah one evening. He ended up marrying her when they were eighteen."

His face was pained as his fingers tightened on his mug, the knuckles going white from the force. "She…she loved him and not me. That's all. I didn't bother to marry," he chuckled, "Who would have me?" Stretch's grip lessened as he continued, "The new couple lived in our home, so I was reminded of the woman I lost everyday. I was grateful the day that Jed had a job and had built his own home with Father and my help. Well…actually come to think of it, Jed didn't do that much. He was always off somewhere else while we worked. Father didn't live much longer after Jed married Sarah. After his death, I had the house to myself. I had taken up my father's trade when I was eleven, but once he was gone, my workload doubled. I didn't mind since it kept my mind off Sarah and Jed.

"They had two little girls and a little boy in the years that followed. They were a happy family until Jed did something stupid. He wasn't a worked, my brother. If he could find a way to get out of something, he did it. Jed took up a life of thievery much like Lively. I wouldn't have known about it if he hadn't come to me one morning.

"'Samuel,' he said, 'Samuel, you have to help me.' I asked him what was wrong, and he took a kerchief full of coins from under his coat, telling me he had stolen it from Dan Telling. 'He's got his dogs coming after me,' Jed said. 'I need you to hide this, please?' I agreed to, and he smiled in relief as he passed the heavy bag to me. One of them fell onto the floor and he quickly snatched it up before running out of the house and going toward his own just across the field.

"I tried to hide the coins under my bed, and just as I finished placing them there, I heard someone rapping on my door. I opened it and saw Dan standing there with a scowl on his wrinkled face. He spat at my feet and asked where my brother was, saying he had seen him go in my house.

"I told him he wasn't there, and Dan sent two of his hounds in. The dogs snuffed around the small house and one of them bayed near my bed. I felt sweat beading on my forehead as Dan went over and found the coins. 'Where is he?' Dan asked, holding the coins up as evidence. 'I'll have him in the king's dungeon before the night's over,' he vowed. I thought not of Jed but of Sarah and the little ones. I knew what I had to do. I told Dan that I had taken the coins, not Jed. I sacrificed my freedom to save my brother's family.

"I was carted off to the castle that very day. I accepted my fate as I was led down to the dungeon, the ropes cutting into my wrists. I was eight and twenty and knew I would be there for a long time. I did get to learn to read and write, so maybe it was the best thing for me."

"Did you ever hear from your brother again?" Snow White asked.

Stretch closed his eyes and said, "My brother was put to death for another crime three years after I was thrown in. I never quite learned of the crime, but there was a rumor that he strangled a wealthy man along the side of a road. Maybe if I hadn't taken the blame for him, he would be here today in this cottage with you instead of buried beneath the earth. Maybe he would have learned to be a better man." Stretch was silent then, his grey eyes cloudy as if his mind was far away.

Snow White looked at the man seated beside Seagrass. She could see that he felt deep sorrow for the loss of his brother even though his brother had caused him great pain and suffering most of his life.

"Yep, Stretch here has the best morals. Other than lying for his brother, that is. He's the innocent lamb amongst us wolves," Lively said.

"I thought Father had the best morals," Snow White said, her face painted with confusion.

The men blinked and looked at each other as if they shared a secret before they looked over at Father. "My child, why would you think I was the most moral one?" he asked her.

"Because everyone speaks seems to respects you; they speak so highly of you."

"My dear, I hate to tell you, but I committed the worst crime in this bunch. I will tell you of my sin that happened thirty years ago."

A/N: Poor Stretch, you tragic figure you. Please tell me you figured out book two.


	11. A Father's Sorrow

Yes, I'm still writing. I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter. Thanksgiving, Christmas, work, a cold, etc. Anyway, here's Father's story! I'm happy to be done with these backstory chapters since they're not my favorite things to write. This one was a bit more difficult since it's emotional, and I feel I ran on a bit at times. Oh well, maybe one day I'll rewrite it. Thank you, Leanne Was Here for your review! It made my day, since that's my goal. Once I finish this, I plan to go over it with a finetooth comb and submit it to some literary agents. And yes, the next book will be called The Grey Island and will be about Sleeping Beauty aka Rosamund. Rosamund is the original name that the Grimm brothers called the sleeping beauty; it wasn't Aurora like the Sleeping Beauty ballet as well as Walt Disney's _Sleeping Beauty_ call her. Anyway, I'm ahead of myself. You should see the little notes here and there for this series that I have. Inspiration tends to strike me while brushing my teeth for some reason. Again, please report spelling/grammar errors! I really appreciate it. Reviews in general are appreciated.

**A Father's Sorrow**

"My child, I have committed the worst crime of them all; I have taken a life." Father hung his head in shame after saying the words. Snow White felt a ball of ice develop in her belly at his confession. It did not seem possible that this wonderful man who was helping the others could have committed murder.

"I must tell you the whole story, my dear," he said. "I was born in the mountains several hundred miles south from this place on a cold winter's night, the second of five children. My parents kept goats, and we lived a very simple life, isolated from others on our mountain. My earliest memories are of running down the mountainside in spring when the ground was covered in yellow and pink flowers and the wind was at my back, swimming in the gentle waters of the creek, and watching the great hawks fly in slow circles high above the fields in search of rabbits.

"I was perhaps eight or nine when we had to leave our mountain home. A disease had wiped out our goat herd, and my father packed up the family to try to find work in a town. It was a long journey, one I had to walk most of the way with my older sister because the mule cart could only carry so much. Mother was heavy with child, so she and my two younger sisters rode in the cart with our meager possessions while I walked behind the cart with my older brother. Father led the way, guiding the mule on his journey.

"When we crossed into a valley, I saw a man with straggly whiskers on his chin and a wide brown hat upon his head leading a cow along the same road we traveled. He was the first person I had ever seen outside of my own family. I can still hear my mother's hushed voice scolding me for staring too long. After days of traveling and stopping in many towns as my father asked for work, I got used to seeing others and had worn my shoes out. By the time he found work, I was barefoot from the walk. It was a large town about twenty miles from the castle.

"At first, I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the town. The sights, the sounds, the smells, everything was new to me. It took a few weeks for me to get my bearings and learn that town life is rather different from mountain life. Sure, we kept a few animals at our home in the town, but it was never quite the same as the goat herd. I still had chores to do, and my mother continued to teach me my lessons. She taught all five of us; not a one of her children ever had a tutor or set foot in a school. We could all read and write at a young age. We could identify plants just by seeing a leaf. When we went to pay for some goods or a service, my mother let us children do the figuring and tell her what she owed so that we would learn the ways of numbers. My father taught us about farming as well as how to take care of things. When not working with the blacksmith shoeing horses as he was hired to do, my father would go around doing repairs for anyone willing to pay for his service.

"As a young man, I fell in love with what most would describe as a simple woman. But she filled my heart with joy at the sight of her. We didn't have much when we wed; all we had was each other and that seemed enough. I never left the town; instead, we set up house and home there near my father's house. I was a laborer by trade, a man who worked with his hands and did most any job that came my way, just as my father had done before me.

"My wife blessed me with a beautiful daughter who I doted on every chance I got. I would have captured the moon for her if I could have." Snow White heard his voice crack as he spoke. Lost in his memory, Father looked toward the window as if seeking the moon in the night sky.

"My little Marion was an even-tempered baby, always quiet and sweet. She always seemed to be studying the world around her. If you held that sweet baby in your arms, she would look around the room, taking in every sight and sound. I'd call her name, and she'd turn her head toward me and smile as I smiled to her.

"Her sweet nature continued in childhood. I remember at the age of four, she got sick with an awful cold. My mother-in-law came to take care of her since my wife, Kathryn was carrying our second child, a child she would lose a few months later. I had to work, so it was wonderful that Kathryn's mother could come tend to my sick child. When Marion would sneeze, she'd sneeze a huge sneeze that made her whole body shake from the force of it. Whenever she sneezed, my mother-in-law would always say, 'Bless your little heart.' This doesn't seem very important, but after getting better, whenever Marion heard someone sneeze, she would say, 'Bless your little heart.' She never grew out of that habit, but it is one of many, many things that made Marion special."

"What did she look like?" Snow White asked.

Father gave a bittersweet smile, "She was an angel. She was my angel. Her hair was long and curly like yours, my child, except hers was a light brown. She had blue eyes that were just like mine but shone with clarity, wisdom, and kindness from her earliest days. Marion had her mother's straight nose and my chin and ears. While the features on Kathryn and my faces seemed plain, on hers, they seemed beautiful. She was a small little thing, always shorter than the other children, but she held her own and could run like the wind.

"My Marion's greatest feature was her smile. It wasn't one of those smiles that lights up the room. No, it was more small and innocent…beautiful. Everything about my daughter was beautiful.

"Maybe…maybe it was because she was my only child. Maybe that is why I doted on her so. After Kathryn lost the child she carried after Marion, she was never with child again. Mayhap having just one child made me cherish every moment with her. You see Snow White, before I became a father, I just went through the motions of life. Sure, I lived and loved. I appreciated things. But it wasn't until I held that small baby in my arms and felt those tiny fingers curl around my finger that I truly lived. Marion showed me my purpose in life. My purpose was to be her father."

Snow White wondered if she had a father somewhere out there who had cared so deeply for her. She wondered if she had ever given him a smile or held his hand. Did he miss her? Did he wonder what had happened to her? Was he still looking for her? Was he even still alive? She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her finger.

Looking around, she saw the dwarfs were melancholic as they sat with eyes focused on their empty mugs or the floor instead of on Father. Father kept his eyes on the fire; Snow White could see the orange and yellow flames' reflection dance across the film of tears forming in Father's eyes, only serving to enhance the sadness on his face.

She asked the unspoken question, "How did she die?"

Father sighed and passed a hand over his face. In a quiet voice, he said, "She was murdered." Before he could speak another word, he buried his head in his hands and leaned forward, sobbing in the pain of his memories. Crat reached over and squeezed Father's shoulder.

"She-she fell in love with the son of a merchant. Wesley was a good man, a man from hard-working stock. My wife and I never had any problems with our daughter's choice in husband. He was a merchant like his father. I remember when Marion had invited Wesley to sup with us that first time." Father chuckled, "She was a nervous little chicken, running to and fro, making sure everything was perfect for him. And it was perfect; of course, it was perfect. I tried to tell her so, but she insisted on making everything just right. You see, I knew something that she didn't. I knew from experience that a man in love sees no flaws.

"It wasn't long after they started courting that Wesley asked me for my daughter's hand in marriage." Father sighed, "It's a difficult thing for a father, giving up his daughter. I guess for some men, it's easier, especially those with many mouths to feed. It's one less to care for, after all. I never viewed it that way. I would have gladly cared for my Marion all her life. In my eyes, she was still a little girl, jumping into my arms for a hug when I came home after a long day of work. Yes, there was that feeling of Marion was my little girl to care for, but my wife, my very wise wife reminded me that I-" Father's voice became affected and faltered over his words, "that I wouldn't be around for her forever. Her candle would burn longer than mine."

He stopped and wiped a tear from his eye before continuing, "So, I relented and gave my consent to the marriage. Having prepared for years for this date, Kathryn had already sewn a simple dowry for Marion, and I had a stretch of land to give the young couple so that they could have their own small farm. I knew the perfect pair of swine for them as well.

"I helped Wesley build their home on that plot of land. I made sure that the front faced east, just like our own home since Marion always said she loved opening the front door in the morning and being greeted by the sun. Kathryn took some cuttings of her cherished roses and peonies to plant in front of Wesley and Marion's home.

"Marion wore a yellow dress the day of the wedding with white flowers woven into her pretty hair. She was a vision, and I couldn't have been prouder of her. It was a beautiful day, her wedding day. The sky was a vivid blue with the bright yellow sun shining overhead and not a cloud to be seen in the sky. Our family and friends rejoiced in my daughter's wedding as the celebration continued into the night. Oh what a time we had!" Father laughed at the memories of the happy times.

"My little girl was so excited to be a wife. Wesley used to tell people about how she kept the house spotless and was the most superb cook in the world. Marion also couldn't wait to have children, and my wife was eagerly pressing that topic. Her desire for grandchildren became evident the morning after Marion's wedding when at breakfast, she asked when I thought we'd get that first grandchild. While the idea of grandchildren seemed exciting, all I could think of was how young my Marion was. True, she was a year older than her own mother was when I married Kathryn. I just couldn't picture her as a mother quite yet.

"She never got to be a mother though. My daughter was married for a little over two years when she was strangled to death…by her husband."

Snow White dropped her mending in a heap at her feet. She had been so engrossed in Father's story that she had stopped working several minutes ago. The feeling of the cloth slipping off her lap made her scramble to pick up the clothes. Lively silently knelt at her feet and quickly and neatly collected the dropped clothing before depositing it on her lap. He slipped to his seat just as quietly, and Father took no notice to the slight commotion.

"Yes, Wesley killed my daughter. And I…and I killed Wesley."

A lump formed in Snow White's throat upon hearing that Father killed his own son-in-law, the very son-in-law who took his daughter's life.

"Your silence is deafening," Father said quietly. "I don't blame you. It's hard to understand how I could kill a man. I'll admit that it stuns me as well. It's many a morning that I wake up, play that horrible day in my head, and think it must have been a dream. I know it wasn't though."

Father rubbed the back of his neck with one shaky hand. "I don't know exactly what started the argument between Marion and Wesley. I just know it was nearly nightfall when Kathryn and I heard the yelling. Leaving our supper on the table, we went outside and saw Marion on the road toward town with Wesley's hands wrapped around her throat.

"'Stay,' I told Kathryn as I ran down the sloping hill toward them to help Marion. I called out for Wesley to stop, but he didn't until my daughter fell to the dirt road in a lifeless heap. I heard Kathryn scream in horror as she dropped.

"I pushed Wesley aside and scooped my daughter's head into my lap. Her eyes were open and staring off into the distance, not really focused on anything. I remember how dull and lifeless they were. If you have never seen a dead person, my dear, you wouldn't understand. There's a life and a light to the eyes of the living. Even those stricken with blindness have life in their eyes.

"I pulled her more into my lap, cradling her against me. Kathryn arrived within seconds and was pulling her cold body to her warm one, sobbing and asking over and over again why. Why had this happened?

"Blinded by tears and shaking with rage, I stood and saw the drunken fool sitting a few yards away, not an emotion on his face. I grabbed him by his collar, jerking him to his feet. I will spare you the exact words I used, as they were words that should never be spoken in front of ladies. And do you know what he did as I released my rant?" Father's eyes focused on Snow White, and he frowned as he waited somewhat impatiently for her answer.

"No," Snow White said.

"He laughed at me. Laughed right in my face, and I smelled the reek of alcohol on his foul breath. There was this…this powerful fury that boiled in my blood like a rogue wild horse running loose through a village, wreaking havoc in his wake. That fury took over my very soul as I looked upon the source, that creature, that drunken who strangled the last breath out of my innocent daughter. The coarse fabric of his shirt bit scratched against my skin as I tightened my grip. It was then that I noticed my right hand held something besides the shirt. It was the knife I had been eating supper with.

"At that moment, it was all over. My daughter's killer was in my grasp, and I had a weapon. I held onto him tightly with my left hand and took the knife, holding it high in the air so that the last rays of the setting sun glinted over the blade. He was still laughing as I plunged the knife downward toward his chest. It was tough to get in, his body resisting the blade as I pushed. But I got it in. His laughter quickly changed to gasping as I started stabbing him over and over again with my dull blade.

"His weight became more of a burden, so I let go of his shirt and pushed his body to the ground on his back. I straddled his stomach and kept stabbing and stabbing over and over again, cursing him for killing Marion. I remember one stab let loose a spurt of blood that splattered on my face. I can still remember the warmth of it as it trickled down my cheek and over my lip. I remember the iron taste on my tongue as a drop or two slipped into my mouth during my tirade. I spat the blood out of my mouth at Wesley. I didn't stop until I saw the light go out of his eyes and felt him go cold like my daughter." Father shuddered at the memory.

"I stood and felt the wet stickiness of his blood on my trousers, how the fabric clung to me like a second skin. I turned and saw Kathryn, her face pale as she still held Marion. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't get a word out. Instead, I sobbed as I sank down next to her. I sobbed for Marion. I sobbed for Wesley. I sobbed for Kathryn and myself.

"I don't know how much time passed before the law of the town came for me. It could have been a few minutes; it could have been a few hours; I'm not sure. Time didn't seem to matter anymore.

"They knew why I had killed Wesley. Everyone in town knew why. I was a father who hadn't been able to protect his child, and when I had a chance to take revenge, I took it. Because Wesley had taken Marion's life, King William spared my own life in favor of spending the rest of my days in the dungeon. This was a long time ago, my dear. King Henry was seventeen at the time, just a prince then. I was five and forty when I was thrown in the dungeon. I reached my eightieth birthday last month. That's…"

"Five and thirty years, Father," Stretch spoke up.

"Precisely," Father said. "Five and thirty years of incarceration. Luckily, I'm no longer in the dungeon."

"Do you regret killing Wesley?" Snow White asked.

Father was still as he thought about how to answer her question. "I wish Wesley was alive. I wish I knew that my wife was cared for. Do I regret it though?" He was quiet again. "I regret his death at my hands. That, I regret. However, I do not dwell in this feeling of regret. I do not think about how life would be if I hadn't killed him. If I hadn't killed Wesley, I would not have been in the king's dungeon. I would not have been able to touch the lives of those I have touched. These men," Father gestured his hands to the rest of the dwarfs, "These men needed me. I became their father. If I hadn't been able to help them, who knows where they would be? I have helped more than these six. And do not think that this is a one-sided relationship. My fellow dwarfs have helped to heal my heart, to help me see that there is a tomorrow and a purpose to everything."

Snow White understood. Father was a very wise man, and even though he was a murderer, these other men respected and looked up to him.

"Let us go to bed for it will soon be dawn, and we must go to work soon. Good night to you all," Father said as he stood from his chair. The rest soon followed his lead and the house grew quiet as everyone fell asleep.

A/N: On chapter title: I originally called this chapter "Of Murder" to fit with the other dwarf backstory chapters, but then I changed my mind since while the others are more identified by what they've done (or not, in Stretch's case), I wanted Father to be identified by what he's been _through_. Hopefully that makes sense. Lily, Aaron, Floren, etc are coming back! Starting with chapter twelve! There shouldn't be such a huge gap between updates from here on out.


	12. An Unexpected Encounter

It's back and it only took five painstaking rewrites to finish! It was like pulling teeth to write this. I'm very, very pleased with how it turned out and hope you are too. My comedy skills are not the best in the world (fantasy=good, comedy...not so much). I need to hone them though, and I had a few scenes to flex my comedy muscles in here. Hopefully you loyal readers will laugh and not cringe...we'll see. I appreciate your patience and the reviews. To Leanne, thanks for honoring me with a request to review your story. To Amoebaa, I swear I'm going to read and review your newest chapters! Thanks for the PM in the forum too! It's nice to have a supporter there. ;) To theofficefan9: Thanks for your kind words! I'm a big "The Office" fan as well. Michael: "Should I bring the dictionary?" Oscar: "The hospital will provide the dictionaries. Take the thesaurus." I swear if I had been drinking something when they said those lines, I would have done a spit take. That bit probably makes no sense to the rest of you; my apologies. I will admit I have been writing several things at once, and a lot of the days spent between 11 and 12 were spent fixing errors in previous chapters (warning, not updated here). If anyone catches errors, post or message please. I can't believe at the end of a certain early chapter, I called Lily Josephina at least three times. Gah! No, I haven't corrected it here. I do write everyday, whether it's on this book or something else, I do write daily. It's what I mainly use a computer for (sad as that is). I also just got a new computer and am changing ISPs soon, so Internet woes I've had for the past month should be resolved soon! Stay tuned for a note at the end.

**An Unexpected Encounter**

"Keep up, Constance," Thumb said to the hound trailing behind the group as they headed to the mines. Constance stopped sniffing at the base of the tree the little grey squirrel had just scampered up and looked toward the group of seven men and two dogs ahead. With a snort of displeasure, she ran to catch up.

If there was one thing Thumb knew, it was his dogs. He knew each quirk, each habit, each vice. Constance always let her nose guide her, no matter what kind of trouble it got her in. Edwin was the excitable one, young and exuberant about life. It was probably the reason Edwin always walked beside Lively. Patience was the most reliable one. The old dog was the largest of the pack, a large guard dog with drooping jowls and sad eyes, her black fur going grey in the face. Thumb reached over to Patience and patted the thick fur. "That's my girl," he said. Patience gave him an adoring look before continuing her focus on moving toward the mountain.

As the men dredged up the path that led to the final turn before they would reach the mines, Wage spoke up, "The girl can't keep sleeping in our beds."

"Well that's a selfish thing to say," Crat said. "She can't sleep on the floor."

Lively walked up beside Wage and slung his arm around him. "Oh Wage, Wage, Wage. Dear, sweet, stubborn Wage." He patted Wage's shoulder, "I was hoping the lady would soften your gruff exterior." He gave a quick tug on Wage's beard before lithely jumping just out of his reach as Wage turned to punch him.

He growled as he looked at the band that had stopped on the path. "I mean if she's going to live with us, we need to make her a bed." Wage turned and continued up the path, grumbling about the idiots he lived with.

"A bed!" the others exclaimed, looking at one another.

"We could build a small bed that could fit under the long bench downstairs," Father said.

"We could pull together our money to buy linens for it," Seagrass said.

"I could carve birds along the sides," Stretch spoke up.

Lively ran up to Wage, "It looks like you do care for the lady."

"I do not," Wage said. "I just want my bed back." None of them believed him for a minute.

The talk of making a bed for Snow White made the day go by faster. They formulated a plan that Father would oversee. "It must be done in secret," Thumb said. "It will be a surprise for her." All agreed and set about working on the bed the next day.

All of them brought forth money to pay for bed linens, including Crat taking money from his sheet music fund. "Plain white linens, nothing fancy. And we'll need a new tick," Wage told the guard when he gave the money to him before the troop left for the night.

Seagrass measured the bench with some twine, cutting the pieces only when he felt they were perfect. Father drew up plans for the bed by a candle one night. He knew Stretch, Crat, and Lively went out into the woods to fell that they had to get the measurements exact because the straw cart would be there that Saturday because it would the last Saturday in March, the day they changed the straw in the tick.

The cart pulled up to the house early Saturday morning and tossed a generous amount of straw out for their mattresses into a pile on the yard. Then the men left with the cart, going up the bumpy trail to lead through the woods behind the house toward town.

Snow White helped the men carry their tick mattresses downstairs. Stretch, Lively, and Crat announced that they had to go chop down a tree for firewood, leaving the others to work on emptying and refilling the mattresses.

"Blasted stuff," Wage said under his breath as he felt another sharp bit of straw imbed its thin tip under his fingernail. He jerked it out and quickly shoved the straw into the tick as fast as he could, looking over his shoulder at the others. Father, Thumb, and Seagrass would occasionally meet his eye as he watched them work on the dwarfs' mattresses. All of them were worried that Snow White would notice Wage hiding behind a tree, stuffing the new tick with fresh straw. Luckily, she was too busy in her work to notice, little bits of straw clinging to her arms and in her hair as she carefully stuffed Crat's mattress.

He breathed a sigh of relief once he finished it. The only thing it needed was a few stitches to close it up, but that would have to wait. Wage looked up and saw Lively and Crat coming back with the axe and saw in their hands. After taking another quick glance over his shoulder, Wage scurried over to the two men. "Did you get it?"

They craned their necks and saw that Snow White's back was to them before affirming that they had chopped down the tree. "Stretch is hauling half of it here as we speak. Tomorrow, he'll haul the other half and hide it nearby," Crat said.

"Well wherever he's going to hide it, have him hide this too." Wage went back to the tick and pulled on it until he reached the other two.

Lively sighed, "And just when I thought the work was done." Awkwardly, Lively and Crat lifted the mattress over their shoulders and carried it back to where the tree came down. Stretch later hauled half the tree to the other side of the hill on the southern side of the house leading toward the mountains. Snow White rarely went there to the best of their knowledge and it would the ideal spot to work. As for the mattress, he hid it in the woods on the southern side of the house, hiding it under some fern fronds. The only thing left to do now was to cut the wood to the correct shape and then he would carve designs on it.

"Hold it straight," Seagrass said for the second time.

"I am holding it straight," Thumb said.

"No, it's crooked. If you don't hold it right on your end, then Crat can't saw it straight."

Thumb glared and lifted the string up a little higher until it was perfectly straight. "Happy?"

"This reminds me of the story about-yeow! Watch where you're sawing, Crat!" Seagrass looked down at his thumb, a slight cut near the nail turning red as blood rose to the surface. "D…Dimples!" Seagrass cursed as he dropped the twine and squeezed his finger.

"Good control of your tongue," Lively said, sitting down beside the group with a long, thin loaf of bread. He broke off a bit and started eating it. With a mouthful of food, he told Seagrass, "You're getting really creative with your substitute expletives."

"If you're not here to help, then leave," Seagrass said, wrapping his finger in his handkerchief.

"I just came to bring you this bread Snow White baked."

"You're supposed to be distracting her so she won't find out what we're doing," Thumb said. "Seagrass! If you get blood on the wood-"

"I've wrapped it. Hold your end straight." Seagrass looked at Crat and said, "And you cut the log, not my flesh."

"Maybe if you stop with the tales from the high sea," Crat mumbled under his breath.

"Stretch is keeping her occupied. He's whittling something for her. A yearling I think."

"A yearling?" Thumb said.

"Hold it straight!" Seagrass grumbled.

"Hold it straight," Thumb mocked. He raised the twine at an angle far above where it needed to be just to aggravate Seagrass before lowering it even with the end Seagrass held.

"Yeah, a yearling. She said something about wanting a yearling stepping out of the woods. I don't know why," Lively said. He crumbled up some of the bread and tossed the crumbs beside him. A few birds flew over to eat the bits of crust.

"I thought you said the bread was for us," Seagrass said.

"All three of you have your hands full," Lively said. "Look alive, Thumb!" He broke off a piece of bread and tossed it at the dwarf. It soared past Thumb's head, landing on the other side of the log.

"Idiot!" Thumb said, dropping the twine and standing up to face Lively.

"You want to go a round, eh?" Lively said. He stood, holding the long loaf out like a sword. "En garde!"

Crat stopped sawing and sighed. "We're never going to finish at this rate."

"You don't even know the proper pose for swordplay," Seagrass scoffed.

"And you do?" Lively said, making a quick thrust of the bread sword at Thumb who stumbled backward out of surprise.

"I learned from a master as a boy. Old Longlegs taught me. I remember-"

"I can cut the thumb off this time," Crat threatened.

"I'm going now," Lively laughed. He placed the bread on a handkerchief he spread on the ground. "Really you guys should get to work. Sun will be down soon."

"Get out of here!" they yelled as Lively went back to the house.

Going back to their work, Thumb didn't even have to turn around to know that Constance was after the bread. "No girl," he said. "Leave it." The dog stopped, looked at Thumb, then turned and went back home.

The men hid the bed in the woods until Stretch could finish carving along the sides. It took a week for him to carve the myriad of wildflowers, bees, and butterflies that stretched along all four sides in a glorious, never-ending meadow.

"You've outdone yourself," Father told him as he watched Stretch and Wage bring the bed into the house. Stretch smiled to himself as he put his end down. Snow White was out in the woods with the other dwarfs, learning where the best spot to pick mushrooms was located, a guise to get her away while Father, Stretch, and Wage set up the bed. Stretch knelt on the floor to straighten the linens on the bed and pushed it underneath the bench to make sure it would fit.

"Perfect," Father said as Stretch pulled the bed back out. They heard the sounds of the dogs barking happily in the yard. "Here she comes."

Father, Stretch, and Wage lined up in front of the bed to block the view as they watched the door open.

"We're back!" Lively announced a bit too loudly as he stepped through the door.

"And here I thought the king himself was coming through the door," Wage said. Lively made a mocking face at him before moving aside for Snow White to enter, eyes closed and holding onto Crat's hand.

"May I open my eyes now?" she asked. Thumb and Seagrass stood in the doorway, watching as Crat led her closer to the bed.

"Now you can," he said, letting go of her hand. As soon as Snow White opened her eyes, Father, Stretch, and Wage stepped aside with great flourish to reveal the bed.

Snow White was speechless as she looked at the bed. She did not know whether to laugh or to cry as she knelt beside it and smoothed her hand over the bedding. "I-I don't know quite what to say."

"We all worked hard on it," Thumb said.

"Stretch carved the sides especially for you, child," Father said.

"We also pulled our money together to buy the linens," Crat spoke up.

"And it's quite comfortable," Lively said, flopping down on the bed.

"Stretch, get his feet," Seagrass said as he reached for Lively's arms. Both men lifted him off the bed and deposited him on the other side of the room while Lively laughed at them.

"You've got to go and ruin everything," Thumb grumbled. "Look there at the dirt from your shoes on the nice clean bedding." Lively looked down at his shoes, having forgotten to remove them and quickly bent to take the shoes off.

"It's quite alright," Snow White said. "You've all done so much for me." She stood and hugged each, thanking them.

"You've done much for us, child," Father said as she kissed his wrinkled cheek. "Now, dry your tears. Today is a happy day."

"Yes, we finally get our beds back," Wage said.

"I shall have to fix a grand supper for tonight," she said, going to fetch the mushrooms she had left outside.

As she settled down in the new bed that night, under the blankets, Snow White looked up at the ceiling and smiled as she heard the sounds of snoring up above her. Perhaps now…perhaps now she had a home and a family who would love her. Maybe she had a place where she belonged. She turned on her side and glided her fingers along the carvings on the sides of the bed before closing her eyes to go asleep. That night was the first night since arriving at the cottage in the woods when her dreams were not haunted by images of the queen.

***

Thumb was feeding the dogs one April evening when Patience raised her head and sniffed the air. Her ears moved to some sound that was beyond Thumb's ability to hear. She turned her large head toward the sound and wagged her tail. With a loud "woof", she lumbered off toward the edge of the woods, waiting for something.

Constance was too busy gulping down her dinner while keeping an eye on Patience's abandoned meal to notice this change of events. Edwin paused in his dining, tilting his head and listening. He padded off to sit next to Constance, his short, stubby tail wagging fast as he waited.

Thumb looked toward the woods, the pail of water poised to fill the trough for the dogs as he listened. After several moments, he finally heard it. It was fife music coming closer. He chuckled and looked toward Constance who was now standing over Patience's scraps, a bit of drool forming in the corner of her mouth. "No, girl. Come now, we have a very important visitor." Constance took one more longing glance at the food before following her master to where the others sat in wait.

As the visitor came into the clearing, all three dogs ran up to the horse, happily jumping up to see the man sitting on the stallion's back, playing a cheery tune on the silver fife. He finished the number, tucked the fife into the saddlebag, and then dismounted. "Good day, Thumb!" he said.

Thumb bowed low, "Happy to see you, Prince Aaron."

"I assume everyone is present and accounted for," Aaron said as he led his horse to the pond near the cottage so Baron could take a drink.

"Of course," Thumb said. "We've just finished supper, but I think I can find you a bite to eat. Come now; wait until you meet our new housemate."

"New housemate?" Aaron looked confused. "My father didn't tell me there was another dwarf."

"No, not a dwarf," Thumb said. Both men heard a yelp and turned to see Constance running away from Patience. Aaron looked at Thumb with a raised brow. "She's been trying to sneak Patience's dinner," Thumb explained.

Aaron removed the parcel from his horse and followed Thumb toward the house, watching the dogs chase each other in the clearing, the setting sun painting the land in a golden glow chased by oranges and reds.

"Greetings everyone, I bring…" Aaron's voice trailed off as he blinked in surprise at the woman wiping off the long table. She seemed frozen as her eyes met his.

Both could only utter one word, "You."

The men dropped what they were doing and scrambled to the door to bow before their crowned prince. Even Father was able to bend slightly at the waist to show respect to his future king. Aaron did not take notice of their acts of allegiance; all he could see was the pair of eyes trained on his.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, placing the parcel on the floor and weaving past the men still bowed at the knee until he stood across from her with only the table separating them.

"What am I doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Snow White asked. She wiped her hands on the cloth and abandoned it on the table as she placed her hands on her hips.

"It is my kingdom after all," Aaron said, throwing his hand up.

"You two…know each other?" Father asked.

As if just becoming cognizant of the others in the room, Prince Aaron turned his head around to face the men. Clearing his throat, he apologized for his carelessness in not acknowledging their loyalty to the crown. "I see that everyone is here as well as an additional one." The men continued to stare wide-eyed at the pair at the table.

"I've brought supplies. If you would like to look through them, I need a moment to speak to the young lady." Aaron walked around the table and took Snow White's elbow to escort her outside.

She stood silent outside, staring at her feet with arms crossed over her chest. Aaron didn't know how to start; he had so many questions for the princess. One of the dogs came up and sniffed at his boots, licking the side of the toe with interest. The silence was awkward, slowly eating away at him and causing him to go mad.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Why are you here?" she countered.

"I am merely checking on the dwarfs to make sure all is well. My father requires someone to check their house every so often to make sure that they're here and not causing mischief. I was coming this way anyway, so I volunteered to come."

"Do you come often?"

Aaron shrugged, "Maybe once or twice a year." Pausing he looked up at her, catching her eye, "I might consider coming more often now that you're here." Snow White reddened and turned her face from his.

"Why are you here, Sophie?"

"My name is not Sophie."

"True. It's as close as I can get to your name though. Once I find out who enchanted my tongue, I assure you I will address you properly."

"Enchanted your tongue?"

"Yes. I can't say your real name without it stalling in my throat."

"You're still confusing me with the missing princess of Everton."

"I'm not confused. I know you are the princess."

She sighed in disgust and sat down next to Patience. "I do not want to go through this again."

"I'm sorry to cause you distress, I'm just confused as to why you don't know you're the princess." He looked up and saw a few faces pressed together at the windows. Raising an eyebrow and meeting their gazes, he saw the men scatter away from the window. Snow White stood and turned around to see what Aaron was staring at and heard the sound of scuffling feet inside. She burst out laughing as she heard Wage yelling at Lively for tripping him.

Still laughing robustly, she turned back to Aaron. He was quiet as he watched her laughter slow. Chuckling himself, he said, "They're quite a group of characters, aren't they?"

She snickered as she nodded in agreement. "They've been most kind to me. I care for them dearly; they're the only family I've ever known."

"Only family?" Her words confused him.

"The sun has set; shouldn't you be on your way, your highness?"

Aaron blinked as he looked up at the sky. A few stars were sprinkled across the purple blanket that was the twilight sky. "I…suppose." He looked over at Baron, who was munching disinterested on some grass. "If it gets any later, I would have to sleep here." He saw that even in the dying light, she was blushing.

Going over to his horse, he mounted and nodded at her. "Tell the men I will be back in the morning. Tomorrow is a Saturday, and they shall not have to work." He paused, "Even if it was a Tuesday, I could get them out of it." Winking at her, he headed off through the woods to start the three-hour journey to town.

Watching him until the trees veiled the horse's chestnut body from her view, she petted the dog's large black head. Opening the door, she saw the men were finishing up cleaning up after dinner. She could feel that they were brimming with questions, but she didn't care. When it came time to go to bed, she informed them that the prince would be back in the morning.

***

Snow White was fixing breakfast when she heard the knock on at the door. Seagrass opened it and welcomed the prince in as he gave a bow. "I'm sorry, your highness. We weren't expecting you so early," he said.

"We'd like to thank you for the supplies," Thumb's voice came from upstairs.

"Really, you brought too much for us, sire," Father said.

"Nay, I should have brought more," Aaron said. _I would have brought more if I knew that Sophine was here_, he thought.

"Nonsense, we should be giving you gifts. Your birthday is this month, right?" Father asked.

"Not for another two weeks. Besides, I lack for nothing when it comes to earthly possessions." He looked over at Sophine as she worked at cooking slices of the ham he had supplied in a pan over the stove. The heat tinged her cheeks red and little curls had come loose from the white handkerchief she wore on her head. They clung to the sides of her face in delicate black swirls. She unconsciously swiped at a few of the offending strands with her hand while concentrating on her cooking.

"Father, if you could rally the troops, I would like to speak to the dwarfs outside," Aaron said. All of them were already in the large room except for Thumb and Crat, who were still dressing upstairs. Father reached for his walking stick and tapped the side of the ladder.

"What?" Thumb's muffled voice called.

"Come downstairs. Prince Aaron wishes to speak to us."

Crat immediately came down in his stockinged feet and headed over to where his boots lay in the corner. "Thumb's still dressing."

"May I borrow this?" Lively asked as he gently took the walking stick from Father's hands. "Thank you." Creeping quietly up each rung of the ladder until the top of his head was even with the opening to the loft. He laid his body against the ladder and slipped the stick up the ladder. With a quick jab, he poked the back of Thumb's knee. "Get a move on!" he shouted as Thumb turned around to see the offender.

"Outside, quickly!" Lively said, sliding down the ladder and herding the six men out the door. Snow White winced when the door slammed shut. Thumb came climbing down the stairs seconds later and grumbled as he walked to the door, still tying the laces at the neck of his shirt. He quickly put his shoes on and reached for the door latch. Grumbling a curse under his breath, he pulled with all of his might while the door held its ground.

Leaning out the window, Snow White saw the group of men watching as Lively held the door closed, his arm strained as he held the latch tight. She smiled and shook her head as she turned back to the cooking.

Lively released the door, sending Thumb flying backwards until he landed in a bewildered heap on the floor. "Why you!" he shouted, getting up and going outside to get Lively. Lively took off laughing as he ran at a leisurely pace through the yard, the two younger dogs romping beside him and barking happily.

"Gentlemen!" Aaron called, "Gather near."

"You're both so juvenile," Wage grumbled.

"You say juvenile, I say jovial," Lively said as he joined the group.

"I'm the victim here," Thumb said.

"You should have been dressed by now, Thumb," Father said, laying a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Is it a crime to sleep in on a Saturday?" Thumb mumbled under his breath.

Aaron looked over toward the kitchen window and frowned that it was within earshot. "Gentlemen, if you could just follow me." He led them over to the pond to the side of the house where Baron stood patiently.

Turning around to face them, he asked, "Can one of you please inform me as to why the lady is living alone with the seven of you? How did she arrive here?"

The men looked at each other uncomfortably, wondering how much they should tell the prince; not one of them was willing to tell what they knew for fear of what the prince would do. Would he tell the queen about the kitchen maid who escaped death? Surely, the prince wouldn't for he seemed to know the young lady and looked kindly upon her. Finally and with some trepidation, Seagrass spoke, "We arrived home one evening from the mines to discover that someone had cleaned up the breakfast dishes we had left on the table. Fearing an intruder, we looked around and saw no evidence of theft. Father found a woman asleep upstairs in Wage's bed. That woman was Snow White.

"We learned that she had escaped certain death that very day. An Evertonian huntsman had orders to kill the kitchen maid."  
"Kill? Why would a huntsman want to kill Snow White?" Aaron seemed alarmed by the news.

"The queen wanted her dead," Thumb spoke up, "None of us know her reasoning behind it. Not even Snow White knows. She's lucky the huntsman took pity on her and let her go. He told her she must never return to Everton."

"All of us agreed that she should live with us. In exchange for shelter, she's keeping house. I'm sure you noticed how much cleaner the house is since your last visit. She possesses an incredibly sweet soul; we're convinced that the poor girl couldn't have done any thing that would warrant her death," Father said.

"The queen's got an evil heart. That's the only explanation," Stretch said.

"Aye, she does. I've met her," Aaron said. His face showed his disgust for Queen Lily of Everton. "You must protect her at all costs."

"Of course," the men said.

"Do you know, sire why the queen would want the kitchen maid dead?" Father asked.

"She's not a kitchen maid," Aaron sighed. He sat down on the stump where they chopped wood.

"What do you mean she's not a kitchen maid?" Wage asked.

Aaron stroked his chin before speaking, "She's the princess of Everton. I was betrothed to her when she was just a baby." Not a sound commenced as the men stood silent, the news washing over them like a wave on the shore.

"A princess?"

"Our Snow White?"

"I knew she had to be a lady." Their voices overlapped once the shock of the revelation wore off. Excitement grew as they realized the woman living in their house was a genuine royal.

"Why is she playing this ruse? Why is she playing us for fools?" Wage asked.

"She isn't playing a ruse," Aaron said. "She doesn't know that she's the princess."

"How can she not know she's the princess?" Crat asked.

"I…I don't quite know. I'm sure she's under an enchantment, but I cannot begin to think who would do such a thing. You know, in Everton, magic is banned," Aaron said.

"Perhaps a magician in another land put her under a spell to get back at the kingdom for its disrespect of magic?" Seagrass offered.

Aaron shook his head, "King Rupert thought the same and set an army on the kingdom of Hanbrook. Nothing was gained from that war, just a loss of lives. Hanbrook is the kingdom that many Evertonian magicians took refuge in after the ban became law."

"Why doesn't the king recognize her?" Father asked. "Surely a father can recognize his daughter."

"It's a mystery. Perhaps he doesn't converse with many servants. She did work in the kitchen after all. My father rarely goes in the kitchen."

"Wait, didn't Snow White say she worked outdoors in the gardens? Maybe King Rupert never went into the gardens," Stretch provided.

"Humph," Wage said. "You're forgetting something."

"What?" Lively asked.

"Don't you remember how she said they used to confuse her with the missing princess?" Wage asked.

"Of course! It all makes sense," Crat said. The others murmured in agreement.

"She did say the queen found her in the woods," Thumb said.

"Wait…what did you just say?" Aaron asked. He grabbed Thumb's sleeve and turned Thumb toward him so he could meet Thumb's brown eyes with his own.

"The queen found Snow White unconscious in the woods as a child. Snow White said she cared for her and gave her work as a kitchen maid," Thumb said, sweat beading on his forehead under locks of mousy brown hair.

"That's it! Lily knows that Snow White is actually Princess Sophie," Aaron said, ignoring the lump that formed in his breast as he stumbled over her name again as he stood up from his seat upon the stump.

"But why would she want to kill the princess?" Crat asked.

"I don't know, but I am determined to find out. I-" Aaron stopped abruptly when he saw the princess appear around the corner of the house.

"So this is where everyone went. I've been calling for you. Breakfast is ready." Snow White turned and headed back for the house, followed by Constance, who upon the mention of the word "breakfast" immediately perked up.

Aaron solemnly followed the men to the house, not wanting to voice a fear he was now harboring. Perhaps the reason Lily wanted to kill Sophine was that she had seen Aaron interact with the princess. Her concerns had to lie with her spoiled son and his future crown. Didn't they?

It was surprisingly quiet at the breakfast table that morning. Snow White looked at each of the dwarfs and the prince as they ate. She could see all of the men looked to be deep in thought, even Lively who was sitting on a rung of the ladder, having relinquished his seat to Prince Aaron. What had they discussed by the pond?

"I'd like to thank you for breakfast," Aaron said as Snow White walked with him outside.

"You're welcome," she said, taking hold of her hoe to continue work on the plot of land she was clearing for her garden. She planned to start planting seeds next week, but there were still some dirt to break up and weeds to clear from the area.

He watched as she started working on her garden, her black hair shining in the sunlight. Aaron opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Sensing his hesitation, she turned around, "Is there something else, your highness?"

Aaron raised a chocolate brow, "Your highness?"

"I'm living in Thadwick now, so I am your subject, yes? Or do you wish that I return to Everton?"

"I will not make that decision for you." Aaron turned to walk toward Baron. He looked over his shoulder and said, "But I would prefer it if you would stay here."

Snow White smiled and gave a grand curtsey, "Thank you, your highness." Her curls bounced as she quickly stood upright once again.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have business to attend to." He pulled on the reins to turn Baron toward the path through the woods.

Snow White bit her lip and did not know what compelled her to ask, but she quickly blurted out, "Will I ever see you again?"

Aaron turned Baron back toward her and said, "I will be back soon, I promise, my lady." With a nod of his head, he coaxed Baron into a canter and made his way through the woods to meet up with the hunting party he was supposed to go with this weekend. It was yet another of his father's attempts to get his son's mind off the case of the missing princess of Everton.

She did not know why she had said that, and she was positive that her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. Still, she was glad to learn that Aaron would return soon. There was something comforting about his presence. Yet…there was something…unsettling about it too. When he was near, it was as if someone or something was deep within her head knocking on a door that she didn't have the key to, begging to be released from its prison. She shook her head to clear her mind and turned back to her task, quickly becoming engrossed in the battle against the invading weeds.

A/N: Fess up, who thought from the title that the vistor was going to be Lily? Gotcha! Aaron needs to come back for several key plot points in the future. So welcome back, buddy! I had to do a minor change to chapter 8, and I did reupload and edited chapter 8 before putting this chapter up, so new readers wouldn't catch it. In the original, Stretch tells Snow White that she can stay and he'll make a bed and chair for her. That was because Stretch's backstory at the time was going to be that he was a carpenter and he had some kind of accident (fire I think...can't recall) which made him lose his shop and fall into debt. He ended up going to prison for not being able to pay off said debts. But I decided to turn him into a tragic romantic figure, especially with the cute carvings. Plus I wanted to make Wage show a bit of a softer side in this chapter. I thought it would be good to make him come up with the idea of making a bed for her. The straw tick...tick is what I assume people used to use back in the day (word origin is from the 15th century, so it's gotta be, right?). I got the idea to make it straw tick as a nod to a book I recently read called Wilkes County Memories...Possum Hunters, Moonshine and Cornshuck Dolls (it's a real book, look it up on Amazon). My maternal grandparents were born in Wilkes County and it's their book. It's full of memories people wrote about from the 1920s through the 1940s (mostly, some were after the 40s). It was very interesting to read and several mentioned straw tick mattresses. Thank you for that since I wouldn't have had an idea about what to do for a mattress. Technically with fantasy I could do whatever I wanted (why I love the genre), so it could be box springs, memory foam, etc. Seems better as straw tick though. The reason it took a lot of rewrites was because I was confused as to which scene I wanted to do first. This section or the next chapter. I figured it stumbled and stalled the story if I went from Father's memory to chapter 13's subject (no reveals, sorry). Then I had an issue where Snow White's personality seemed to have changed when I read back. She was mean and bitter at first. I also brought up mending again for some unknown reason. Terrible rewrites. Blech. This seemed good and flowed better. Lots of conversation in this chapter though. Word blasted me by saying the reading level was like fourth grade. *rolls eyes* It's because conversation usually has short sentences, and from my education in education, I know how they determine reading levels, and short sentences make it lower. Word aggravates me anyway. It gets insulted with the word "lady" and "maid." Politically correct program. I could strangle it sometimes. And while that was long and boring, I have to say Lively is a peach. He's a fun character to write for and is about to pass Seagrass as my favorite dwarf.


	13. Update

You ever have real life get in the way? That's what's been happening. I have recently gotten back into writing and am in the process of rewriting the story, changing some things and adding in a new character I need for my third book. I came up with an idea on Monday that's an important addition to the fifth book.

Now, I understand that many wish for me to continue, and I'll be glad to do so. It'll help me to sort a few more things out and I can get the idea of what I want across, but it's going to be missing several important pieces that the final version will have. I've even renamed the lands of the books, trying to make them make sense.

Yay or nay to continue? It's up to you guys. Or would you rather me start over with new material? Let me know.


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